Safe Harbor
by 2640487
Summary: Sookie has no memory.
1. Chapter 1

So, first FanFic, etc. None of this belongs to me, I own nothing. Charlane Harris = Owner.

* * *

The first thing I could remember was walking down a country road. It was paved with packed gravel and ran along fenced in farmland planted with winter wheat. My feet were bare and I was very, very cold. A few birds squawked from their perches on the fences. Crows, I realized. The air was still and a chill settled in around me. I hugged myself in an attempt to stay warm, it didn't work. By the time I reached the first big curve in the road the sun sat as a thin line on the horizon and the world seemed perfectly quiet. There were birds a few random squirrels; there were no cars, no people. Nothing and no one for miles. Already some of the earliest stars twinkled above me.

As night fell my panic rose. I didn't know where I was, I didn't know where I was going -- I couldn't even think my name but I tried to push that thought away as too troubling to keep close by. Upon further reflection I realized I didn't know the date and as night closed in around my own fear threatened to paralyze the rest of my thoughts . No matter how I tried to calm myself all I could think to do was run. A breeze sprang up from the north chilling my skin. I was cold, my feet were cold and I was only wearing black pants and a white shirt that read '_ Merlotte's.' _I knew I needed to be somewhere but I didn't know where, I didn't know how to get there -- hell I didn't even know where here or there was, so I just kept on walking through the night. I tried taking slow deep breaths but seeing my own breath hang in the air did nothing to make me feel any better.

As the dirt road curved I passed though a small corpse of trees. Pushed by the wind clouds began to roll in one by one, chasing away the little light to be had. No cars passed me by. I was alone, in perfect silence and nearly perfect darkness.

For all I knew hours past, I felt a wave of calm pass over me, my fear started to fall away. I kept on walking, following the road by the feeling of the gravel under my feet. I was very cold, I could barely see my hand in front of my face. Eventually I heard a car off in the distance, roaring along the road.

The car turned out to be an Escalade. When it turned down "my" road I instantly thought I didn't want to be found and ran off into the only shelter I could see, the small corpse of trees. I started to panic again, my mouth ran dry, I was running but I didn't know where to run. As I ran trees tore at my bare arms, the ground ripped up my feet. I heard the car on the road stop, a door slam and a voice calling out to me. "Stop! Come back!"

Seconds later a wave of calm washed over me as strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me to a broad, muscular chest. I fought back, only to be hit by what I can only describe as perfect serenity, debilitating soothing clam and bliss. It was so strong for that moment I had no emotions of my own. Logically I knew this was wrong. I was a lone in the middle of nowhere with a strong man I did not know and he was holding me against my will. I heard a voice screaming only to realize it was my voice and I was the one yelling "let me go!" I kept on struggling but it didn't do any good, whoever he was he was very strong. Fighting with him only left me tired.

"If I let you go, do you promise not to run?" I couldn't see my attacker in the darkness but he was big, his voice deep. He spun me around in his arms to take a look at me -- I wondered how he could see anything, it was so dark. He pressed cool hands to my already cold face. "You're freezing, your feet are bleeding. I can smell your blood" He sounded worried.

"Yes, I promise not to run." I said and felt his grip on me relax. As soon as he did I darted off toward the road hoping to reach his car before he could. Maybe I could jump in and drive away before he caught me.

I think I heard him laugh because he said, "This is kinda fun, actually. I like chasing you lover. You cannot run from me forever, not like this." Just as I reached the pall of light cast by the headlights of his car he was right in front of me. How the hell did he do that? I shrieked in fear. This time he grabbed me by both shoulders forcing me to face him. As I fought to get away I could see a radiant; blond and blue-eyed, tall and broad shouldered man.

If I could remember meeting more people I might have thought he was one of the biggest (and most beautiful) people I ever met. But standing there in his heavy leather jacket, jeans and a black tee shirt all I could do was be struck by his apparent beauty. At some point I would have to evaluate my priorities. Somehow I was deeply touched this beautiful creature seemed so concerned for my well being. But I still knew I had to get away, I had to run.

I tried to kick and punch him but it was like hitting a wall. Letting go of my shoulders he took both my wrists in one of his large hands and pulled me toward him. When I couldn't get any closer to him his other hand lifted my chin with his fingers, forcing me to look up into his face. He fixed me with the darkest blue eyes imaginable and said "relax, I have you. It is I, Eric, I will protect you." I had the most particular sense of calm and well being. It washed over me like a heavy rain. I felt I should trust this man, I knew deep in my core I should go with him whereever he asked. His hand fell away from my face but I remained looking up at his towering frame and tilted my head slightly to the side. He seemed to hesitate for a moment but said nothing else.

I didn't feel that my will was completely my own but I didn't fight it. When I relaxed and sagged a little against him I saw such a look of surprise on his face that nearly snapped me out of it to ask him what was wrong but just as I opened my mouth to speak I felt more calm and confidence hit me. became aware of the cold road under my feet and waited for what came next. Wordlessly he scooped me up in his arms and carried me the rest of the way to his car.

He planted a kiss into my hair saying, "I have found you, and you will be safe." I didn't say anything, the exhaustion of the cold was hitting me, my feet stung, my toes burned but I knew, or at least believed he was telling the truth. I snuggled up against him as he carried me to the car. Oddly, I couldn't hear his heart beat but I was too tired to care.

The big black Escalade was waiting for us. He'd left the engine running, the lights on and the heater blasting. He opened the passenger's door first and slid me into the car, taking care to protect my head as he maneuvered me inside, then he reached across me to buckle the seat belt. He slipped off his leather jacket and covered me with it like a blanket. I thought it odd that it wasn't warm on the inside after being worn by him, but then faster than my eyes could see he was on the driver's side and in the car. OK, that was weird.

"Do you know where you are?" He asked kindly.

"Who are you?" I thought knowing his name would be important at some point in our evening.

"Why are you out here without your car? And shoes? In the winter?" These were all very logical questions, I too would like to know their answers.

"You know me? Who am I?" Ok, that threw him for a loop. When he didn't say anything I added, "Do I know you?" He didn't answer any of my questions and I had none to give.

Before we started moving he turned to look at me. When he was sure I was looking back at him he said, "I want you to sleep, you are very tired." My eyes drifted shut even as I willed them to remain open. As I felt the SUV pull back onto the road a feeling of complete contentment settled around me and I felt warm and safe in that car bundled under his leather coat. Just as my final bit of consciousness carried me out to sea I heard the sound of a cell phone being opened. "Yes. Find Dr. Ludwig."


	2. Chapter 2

Again, I own nothing. This is based of the works of C. Harris. Good times.

* * *

When I woke up we were turning into a parking lot. The interior of the car was snug. I was so tired I didn't want the car ride to end. I wanted to shut my eyes again and stay snuggled under my borrowed leather jacket. A neon sign read: _Fantasia, _were we at a strip club? And no, it read: _Fangtasia_. The parking lot was nearly empty with a small gathering of people heading toward their cars. I could feel a kind of buzzing in my brain, where before I knew only silence. We rolled to a stop and Eric put the car in park. "Come with me," he said as he climbed out of the car.

I moved to follow, shrugging into his huge leather jacket to stay warm but as I stepped out of the Escalade and onto the parking lot I staggered and nearly fell to my knees. It wasn't my feet touching the cold ground or the cuts I'd sustained running through the woods. It was, it's hard to describe, a wall of sound _in my head_. What the hell? I could hear voices but everyone I could see was too far away to 'hear.' My handsome savior seemed to materialize at my side and stopped me from hitting the ground.

Before I could really understand what was happening the world seemed to spin for a while. All these thoughts rushed into my head but the worst part was I could _feel _ what they were thinking. Lust, hunger, hate all of it was there in my head and try as I could I could not block it out.

_SEXSEXSEX_

_Why is HE with that woman?_

_She looks homeless._

_I could show him such a good time._

_God, just look at her breasts. _Where they talking about me? I looked down at myself -- yes, yes they were.

_Oh my god, I left my purse in the bar and it's closed. _

_Oh good, he found her._

Everyone in this crowd was wearing black and tight leather corsets. A few had on red velvet. They all wore heavy makeup, even the men -- I found it to be a bit of a turn off. The women had on deep red lipstick and some sported black nail polish. Was it Halloween?

"What is it, lover?" I didn't have the energy to argue with him over semantics of that word.

"My head" I squeaked out through gritted teeth. "Why are they screaming at me?" My golden-headed rescuer had a consternated look of concern pass over his face, but then it was gone.

"Lover," it may be my imagination but he seemed to say it gently, "they're not saying anything, you're reading their minds."

My head might have felt like it was going to explode but that was the most ridiculous thing I ever heard come out of a man's mouth.

"I don't know who you are _buddy_, but now is not the time to make fun of me." I pleaded. "Look, can't you just take me to a hospital or something. Thanks for pulling me off the road and all but I should be going." I silently prayed he would not abandon me in this strange place.

He pursed his lips for a moment into a thin line. He opened the passenger's side door of the car and picked me up. He sat me back down in the seat saying "I don't want your feet to get cold again but wait here." Then he strode off looking all God-like in his black tee shirt and jeans toward the small gathering of costumed people in front of the bar. "Ginger," I heard him say "come with me, the rest of you, disperse -- _now. _You saw no one here tonight."

"Of course, _Master_" came a simpering voice. _Oh god, he's not going to have her read my mind again... I hate that, it's so weird it isn't natural. I don't care if I do work for vampires some things just shouldn't be possible. Crap, did I leave my coffee pot on? He has such a nice ass._

I was sitting in the front seat of the SUV with my knees pulled to my chest and my arms wrapped around my knees trying to block out the assault on my brain by taking deep breaths. It didn't work. My head felt like it would split open any moment now.

"Vampires?" I managed to say. I could not have heard that right. This was crazy they were clearly dressed for Halloween. He ignored my outburst, while reaching out and resting one big hand on my right knee. I found it reassuring though I suspect he just wanted to stop me from going anywhere. Also, I knew by now even if I ran he'd catch me. And where would I go?

"Whether you remember it or not, you know this woman. Her name is Ginger." He motioned to the thin, blond woman standing next to him. "Ginger is a waitress here at my bar, Fangtasia." My eyes drifted to the sign on the bar. Fangtasia? Really? But it made more sense for a bunch of people dressing up and pretending to be vampires. Kinda obvious, but OK. I reasoned the woman standing next to him had so easily accepted that he'd just said 'I am a vampire; this is a vampire bar' because she was part of the whole 'theme.' This line of thought was completely sidetracked when tall, blond and gorgeous said : "you are a telepath, can read the minds of other humans."

He said this all really slowly, as if when it came out slow it wouldn't be frightening or sound half as crazy as it did. But worse and to my complete horror now I knew him to be right. Ginger hadn't said a word but had so far thought: I was really pretty, I looked cold (I was) and that I had cost her _master _(really, Ginger, master?) a great deal of trouble. But it all came in a flood of confusing emotions, some of them mine, some of them his and some of them the woman standing in front of me.

So if I could really read people's minds did that mean that this guy was really a vampire? I hadn't been able to read his mind. "I can't read your mind," I stammered. His hand was still on my knee, he seemed to know I was about to bolt because he tightened his grip, not enough to hurt me but enough to let me know I wouldn't be running anywhere.

I wanted more than anything (at that moment) to just faint and not have to deal with any of it. The blood drained out of my face and when I didn't say anything he turned to Ginger and told her to go home. His voice was so soft and seductive it seemed to me that something was "wrong" in the way he spoke to her. He told her that I was never here. Her eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment she smiled, wished him a good night and walked over to her car.

I was shaking now from cold, exhaustion and oh yea, finding out that I could read freaking people's minds oh and Vampires. Maybe this was all a really bad dream. I started to sag a little, and leaned into the passenger's seat. I wanted to shut my eyes and have this all go away but I couldn't stand the silence either, "well that was weird." I said once Ginger was gone. Not waiting for further explanation he bundled me up in his arms, closed the door of the SUV with his gracious backside and headed toward the back of the bar. "I can walk."

"I am well aware. But the ground is cold, your feet are bare and there is glass on the ground."

"What did you do to her?" We were inside now and walking down a long hallway. It occurred to me that I should be more troubled by this experience than I was but I had this persistent feeling of well being. It was a fuzzy mixture of a great buzz and being with the one person you loved most in the world.

"I glamoured her," he said flatly, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't understand." He kicked open a door and we entered what looked like the back office of a bar. There was a desk with papers and other work stuff on it and a red leather sofa.

He sighed, needlessly I realized (for the first time I notice he wasn't breathing) and panic started to well up in me again. He wasn't breathing. He wasn't fucking breathing. "I know you don't." He said as he settled me on the sofa. Then he flipped open a cell phone and punched in a number. "I have her," he said when someone picked up on the other line and hung up without another word.

"What are you?" I asked.

He thought about what to say for a long while. _I am a vampire, and you are so much trouble Sookie Stackhouse. _"I am a vampire, and I am your, "he seemed to cast about for the right word before settling on one," friend."

"My name is Sookie?" Count on me to fish out what I felt the most pertinent part of his line of conversation.

He went very, very still. So still I thought something else had happened and something turned him into a statute. "How do you know your name is Sookie?" He said smoothly.


	3. Chapter 3

Again, I own nothing. This is based of the works of C. Harris. Good times. Here, people liked it well enough so here are two more. After this I'm out until Friday I think. I write on the train.

* * *

"You just said so."

He didn't move a muscle. "Sookie, I did not say anything."

His voice was very sweet but he had suddenly acquired a slight accent and he dropped his contractions. I could have sworn his pupils dilated a little. He had a slight smile on his face, I felt so calm I didn't question what came next. "Sookie, did you read my mind?" He didn't sound mad, just curious he could have been asking about the weather or if I preferred chocolate to vanilla ice cream as he as he pushed a few stray strands of hair behind my ear. It was such an intimate act I found being touched by him excited me, I wanted to kiss him and I was pretty sure the thought was my own. He smiled as if he knew what his touch had elicited from me.

"Um," it had been a long night at this point I was not at my most eloquent. "Did you think you were a vampire, I was a lot of trouble and my name?"

More stillness.

"Indeed." He kneeled a little before me and took my hands in his pushing the arms of his leather jacket up away from my wrists. I became aware of just how strong he was, I could feel his muscles tighten around my hands. I thought for a moment I should be frightened. I was here alone in a strange place with a man (excuse me, vampire) I didn't rightly know. As my breathing increased and my eyes darted to the door he dropped his hands from mine and slid his hands down my legs to my bare feet. Clicking his tongue he looked at the damage there, "Sookie, you should never have run from me."

"Is that what happened?" I said, my moment of fear passing. What were we talking about?

"Look at me lover." He was still kneeling in front of me holding on to one of my feet. His eyes were so deep and blue I felt I could get lost in them, and for a while I think I did. I heard him saying distantly "Sookie, you must never tell another vampire you have read or can read their mind. You will never tell a human or anything else that you can read a vampire's mind. Do. You. Understand. Me."

He sounded so firm and maybe a little angry that I started to panic all over again but again I felt this overwhelming sense of calm all could do was nod and ask: "how will I know they're a vampire?"

"You will learn." He dropped the foot he was cradling and sat next to me on the leather sofa. He pulled me onto his lap and cradled me in his arms. "Sookie, I can feel your emotions. I know you are afraid. But you must trust me I will protect you as long as I can."

This did nothing to make me feel better. "Am I in trouble?"

Silence. "I do not believe you did anything to be here, no."

"Can you feel everyone's emotions?" I felt rather than heard his laughter.

"No. We have a special relationship."

I hoped he would explain further but he never did. "Please don't leave me." I sounded far more pathetic than I wanted to.

He kissed the top of my head. "Sookie, I have long wished for you to say such words to me. And now that you have I only wish for you to be back as you were." We sat in silence for a moment but he seemed to be listening for something. "Stay here," he said sliding me off his lap and leaving me on the sofa.

In a flash he disappeared. By then I heard a commotion out in what I guessed was the main area. He returned with a basin full of hot water and two other people. Actually looking at them now I realized they, like he, were vampires. They glowed a little, I couldn't hear their thoughts (for the most part) and they were so pale and lovely they looked like a commercial for good skin.

The woman was small, pale and blond. She wore a pink, sweater twin set and gray wool pants. The man had dark hair and blue eyes, he looked, sad -- he was handsome but looked so ill, too pale with a slight hint of gray under his skin. Looking from me to my rescuer, his nostrils faired a little, "she's bleeding."

"You're both vampires," I said dumbly.

All three of them shared a look. "She has no memory. Of anything." offered Eric who was now on his knees again with the basin of hot water cleaning the gashes on my feet. I winced in pain as he picked gravel out the wounds. "This will not hurt," he said to me and it didn't.

"I can do that for you Sheriff," said the dark haired one. Maybe it was the smell of my blood but his fangs had run out a little. I couldn't stop staring at them. I began to feel fearful again and tried to retreat more deeply into the borrowed leather jacket.

"Please don't let him touch me," I pleaded.

"He will not harm you, Sookie." Eric didn't even look up from my feet, "Bill, you are frightening her. She does not know who you are." A feeling of smug satisfaction drifted through my mind and I didn't know who that particular emotion belonged to.

"Sookie we're friends," said 'Bill.' I stared at him fearfully.

"Bill, you will not touch her while she is in this state, is that understood."

"Afraid she won't chose you a second time, _Eric_?" The dark haired one said bitterly. Wait, I was _with_ him, previously? I was with Eric? Did I only date vampires? Did I have a death wish? Maybe this was one very elaborate hallucination. I hoped this was one very elaborate hallucination.

Eric went very still again, I recognized this from when I had fished my name out of his brain. He said something in a language I didn't understand and the blond lady left the room only to return with a clean towel. "_Bill_, you will go and speak with her boss. When I spoke to him earlier he only said that Sookie finished her shift and went home. I will forget, what you just said, for now.

The blond lady snickered and handed Eric the towel. He blotted my feet until they were dry and they no longer oozed any blood. "Why isn't she in pain?" asked the blond lady. I was beginning to find they way they didn't talk to me annoying.

"She can be glamoured," said Eric simply.

"What? How?" said the blond woman, she was all smooth and neat. Even her hair was pinned back

"I do not know. She does not seem to block out thoughts. Perhaps she cannot resist us."

"Well that will be fun."

"Pam!" Eric shouted at her, "You will not glamour her." Then he looked at Bill. "You will not glamour her either, is that understood?" Did he just growl?

"Isn't that _convenient_," spat out Bill.

"What's glamouring?"

Apparently Eric had just about enough of this Bill guy because he ignored me and said icily, "No, _Bill_, it is pretty fucking inconvenient. She is _helpless_, the King of Nevada, Arkansas and Louisiana is coming to see her in 3 days," he continued on angrily, but his voice never rose above conversation level, "do I need to remind you the King has taken an unhealthy interest in this woman and now she is powerless to resist his, or any other vampire's 'charms.'"

The room was really quiet for a minute until I piped in with "wait, you all have _kings_?"

Everyone looked at me again. Eric looked exasperated, the blond lady snickered -- and Bill, Bill kept his face completely neutral.

"Go," Eric said to Bill. "Find her boss, wake him up if you must, but find out what he knows and call me before the sun rises."

I had to hand it to him; Eric had a way of talking dramatically, yet completely seriously. If I didn't have some weird sense of calm wrapped about me I was sure I would be absolutely terrified of him.

"Yes Sheriff," said Bill with a slight head bow, and he was gone.

When he was gone, the blond vampire sat next to me. "Why don't you just give her your blood?" She said while smoothing wrinkles out of her slacks.

I tried to inch away from her but out was out of room on the sofa. Eric rose, leaving the basin of hot water on the floor; I gathered he did not pick up after himself. "Leave her alone Pam. She has had enough tonight. Until we know what has happened I do not think giving her anything is wise. The wounds are not life threatening. Besides," he said with a smile, "it is for the best that she cannot run from us for the next couple of days."

"Do you think some _witch_ cast a spell on her?"

"Yes," he said as he looked over a few papers on his desk. "Pam, I will take her to my home and secure her for the day." I didn't like the sound of that. "Call her friend Amelia and see what she knows. Then see if you can find her car."

"Is someone going to tell me what is going on?" I said. Pam rose and left the room, casting a look back at the two of us as she closed the door behind her. I felt calm flooding my way and I felt profoundly annoyed that I knew this was not my emotion. I pushed back against the feeling and instead slipped right into his mind. I gasped, it was like falling into icy water.

He was worried the king would take me away from him, he was worried he couldn't fix me and he was surprised he missed how uncooperative I was -- or rather, had been. He believed deep in his being that I was _his, _and his alone. He was grateful we had been pledged with the knife.

He was shaking me as I came out of it. "STOP IT." He was roaring. "SNAP OUT OF IT, NOW."

"Sookie," he kneeled in front of me again rather than pull me onto my hurt feet. "Sookie, you can not do do that. DOYOUUNDERSTAND?"

I was so afraid I could have peed myself. Angry Eric was absolutely terrifying. "Stop it," I cried.

"No," he shook my shoulders. "You need to understand. If _anyone_ else knows you can do that (he wouldn't even name what I had done) you are dead. I will not be able to protect you. You need to understand."

"I understand, Eric," I managed to stammer out, "I don't know how I did it...I don't know." And I burst into tears.

Eric looked horrified all over again. If you asked me what he was more frighted of, a woman who could read vampire minds or a woman weeping all over his leather sofa I would not have been able to answer that question. "It is alright Sookie, you will learn." He tried to sound jovial and he smoothed down my hair, "you have already learned how to pick out vampires, shutting them out will not be far behind. Now you are tired and you need to rest. I will take you home."


	4. Chapter 4

Again, I own nothing. This is based of the works of C. Harris.

* * *

I wondered if I lived with him, or rather we lived together. "Wait, we live together?" Just how close were we?

He chucked, "No lover. Though, perhaps if you did you would find yourself in less trouble. Perhaps when this is over you will rethink your living arrangements." He bundled me up into his arms again and started for the door. Truth be known I had to use the bathroom but didn't relish the idea of using a bar bathroom in my bare feet when they were all cut up no matter how carefully my vampire might clean them later. I hoped his house wasn't that far away.

"You said we were pledged with the knife."

"I didn't _say_ that. And you are too tired and confused to that that kind of conversation tonight."

We drove for a while, how long I didn't really notice. "You keep on calling me lover."

"Hmmm?" He seemed to purr.

"Well, are we?" We pulled into a modest ranch style home on the outskirts of town. "You live here?" He didn't say anything and hit the garage door opener. "I thought vampires would live in castles or something. Hunchbacks..." He laughed a little.

"It's secure" he said parking the car, I noticed a red corvette in the other parking bay. "And it is best not to draw too much attention to yourself. A lesson you would do well to learn Miss. Stackhouse." He laughed then again, and I realized I liked hearing his laugh. The garage door closed behind us and he walked around the Escalade to help me out.

"You didn't answer my question. What are we, to each other." I tried to wave him off as he bent to take me out of the car. "I think I can manage." I said.

"I know you can, but the garage floor is dirty, you can walk when you are inside."

So I let him help me out of the car and into his house. "Have I been here before?"

"No, you have never been here."

"But we're together?" I said hobbling around to get a better look at the place; my feet were beginning to ache. "Is there a bathroom here?"

"Down the hall," he said pointing, "and to your left."

I hobbled down the hall, shucked off the leather jacket, draping it over the back of a chair in the kitchen, and took care of my needs. When I returned Eric was splayed out in all his considerable blond glory in what I guessed was the 'family room' not that he seemed like the family type. He was on his cell phone, talking to someone named Sandy. I wracked my brain trying to think if I knew the name. There was nothing there, only blackness. I reached for what I knew about the name and thought ruefully I didn't even know if Sandy was a man or a woman. I tuned back into the conversation to hear Eric talking about the king's upcoming visit. He finished up the conversation when he saw me listening in. Snapping the cell phone shut he looked at me expectantly.

"Why don't you put him off for a few days?"

"Because he would know something is wrong and come anyway. And I hope you will be fixed by the time he comes." He patted the space next to him and when he saw me hesitate he just reached over and half dragged, half ushered me to his side. "You must be hungry, when is the last time you ate."

"I don't know." It felt very natural to be curled up next to his side, my head on his shoulder. My eyes darted to the clock, it was 3 AM. Sunrise was 4 hours away.

He was silent for a while. "Are you hungry?"

"Do you have any food?"

"I have frozen food, yes."

"Uh, do vampires eat?"

"No."

"Why..."

"I always like to be prepared. Also I have a number of human associates who need to eat from time to time. But if you can wait just a moment I want to talk to you." I nodded, feeling content to be slightly hungry and stay where I was. "What do you remember about tonight?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean ... 'nothing'?"

"I mean before I saw your car on the road, all I remember was walking down the road, and I remember being cold."

He was silent a while as he turned this over in his head. "Well let's get you dinner then." He moved off the sofa effortlessly. "Stay here and rest." I heard some sounds in what I guessed was the kitchen, the whirling of a microwave and a familiar 'ding.' Five minutes later he returned with a plate of food, a fork and a bottle of red liquid. He looked very pleased with himself until I realized with horror that the red liquid in the bottle was blood. I turned white at the sight of it Eric frowned at me. "This has never bothered you before."

"Is that all you drink?" I ventured warily. He offered me the plate of food, lasagna; it smelled wonderful even if it did come out of a freezer and my stomach growled angrily.

"No, I drink from humans too."

I took in a mouthful of food very slowly. Eyeing him warily, "I just... I guess I didn't really believe you were a vampire. Is that real blood?"

He laughed then. "Believe me, I am all vampire. And it is real, fake blood."

"I don't understand." So he explained the "Great Revelation" to me, the coming out of vampires and synthetic blood. If I hadn't seen Bill's fangs earlier that night I would have thought this was just one elaborate lie. Instead I sat there taking in all this new (new to me) information. "Um, does it taste good?" I was out of lasagna now and used my fork to scrape at my plate.

"True Blood? Not really."

"Why do you drink it?"

"Are you offering your blood?"

I froze, "Please don't hurt me," I begged. His face softened imperceptibly he reached out to stroke the side of my face with the back of his hand. "Hurting you is the last thing I have on my mind. I would gladly drink from you. I have in the past and you enjoyed it very much. But you are not yourself and I will try not to frighten you while you are in this state."

"You've, "drunk" from me?" If I sounded horrified that was because I was. Eric said nothing but looked hurt, his lips curled down slightly. He looked sad. "What are we...to each other?" Eric chortled a little. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, _lover, _you have no idea how long we have waited to have this conversation...only to have you in this state." He took a swig of the True Blood; it gave him more color I found, giving him a pinkish tinge to his cheeks. I didn't know what to say to that, but I still wanted to know. He rose and took my plate away with him to the kitchen. I could hear the microwave whirling again.

"Um, well. So. What are we?" I called out to him. I could hear him sigh heavily as he walked back into the room with a second bottle of blood in his hand.

"We share a blood bond and we are pledged with the knife."

"What does that mean?" I said pressing the issue.

"You are mine: no other vampire may touch you."

"So you're not like, my boyfriend?" He sat back down on the sofa, when he didn't pull me over to him I found I wanted to be closer to him. I crawled over to his side and snuggled up against him. Once there he pulled me close wrapping a heavy arm around my side. I could not recall feeling safer. This did not say much however, since my most recent memories revolved around me running around in the cold.

"I would like you to think of me as your boyfriend, yes. Although in vampire terms we are closer to husband and wife."

"Why don't I?" He laughed again at that.

"I do not know. It is not my choosing. You were very angry at me for pledging you with the knife."

"Because you're a vampire?" Was I anti-vamp?

"No, I do not think so; you have always been very open-minded. You were with Bill Compton when we first met. You felt I tricked you."

"Did you?"

"Yes. But it was for the best."

"Why?"

"There are other vampires who want you for your abilities. This forces them to go through me and I am very ruthless."

This dove tailed with what I had seen that evening, he had forced Bill away from me. Ordered Pam away when she got too close. And those seemed like friendly vampires he called on for help. I would hate to see the vampires he didn't like get close to me. "How did we meet?" I had to think, no matter how little I knew about myself I did not see myself ending up with a vampire as a child. He explained, as well as he could our history. Bill, Fangtasia, Dallas, Sophie-Anne and Rhodes. When he finished I sat there numbly. It was a lot to take in.

A cell phone rang, actually it had to be his cell phone I didn't have one on me, maybe I didn't own one. He shifted us slightly to answer the call. "Yes."

"I see."

"Yes."

"No."

"If you cannot return here before daybreak, spend the night with the witch bring her to Fangtasia tomorrow." He closed the phone angrily.

"Well?"

"Your shifter friend says you finished your morning shift and drove home. Pam is at your house. Your friend, Amelia will join us tomorrow." None of this meant anything to me.

"Who is the shifter? What do you mean morning shift? When did you find me?" Eric seemed pleased when I asked who the shifter was.

"The shifter is a man named Sam Merlotte. You work for him as a waitress. You were supposed to work from 8-4. I found you tonight at 9."

I thought about that. "Are telepaths very common then, like vampires?"

"Why do you ask?" I could feel his pleasure at my line of questioning.

"Um. It just seems odd, to work as a waitress, and read minds. Does Sam run a casino or something?"

Eric laughed, "Well, you never fail to entertain. Before this happened, you always told me you remained working with the Sam because he was a good boss. Also you have said that you have had to quit jobs after you picked up their thoughts. But no, he runs a small diner in your hometown. I have attempted to get you to work for me or to come live with me or to find a different job and you have always refused."

"Why?"

"I do not know, you tell me you refuse to be a 'kept woman.' Also you are very stubborn." And then he said quietly, "you are very loyal, you are happy with what you have."

His cell phone rang again. "Speak." He listened for a while. "Tomorrow night" There was a pause on the other end of the line and then a faint 'yes.' He closed the phone.

"Who was that?"

"That, was Dr. Ludwig. She is in New Orleans, and cannot be here before daybreak."

I felt stupid. "Who is Dr. Ludwig?"

"She is a Dr. who deals in sups." The look on my face gave me away, "supernaturals." He rubbed the area between his eyes. "You are so much trouble."

I had so many questions, I didn't want to sleep. "Come Sookie; allow me to get you cleaned up and to bed. You smell of beer, grease and fear." I started to protest but he had none of it, pulling me along with him as he walked off toward a bedroom.

It was a large room with a king sized bed. It had a second door that led to the bathroom (I could see tile from where we stood). There was a window, which I thought of as strange, "I thought vampires couldn't go out in the sun."

"That is true" he said while putting me down gently on the bed. "This house was built for humans. I sleep elsewhere during the day." As He rummaged a set of drawers, the only only furniture in the room. I noticed the room like the rest of the house was rather sparse; it had the bed (platform and low to the floor) and the set of drawers. Other than the door leading out to the hallway and out to the 'family room' were two more doors. One was to a closet and the other to a bathroom. Eric pulled out a large black tee shirt and handed it to me. "Pam will bring some of your clothing tomorrow. For now this will have to do." He sat down on the bed next to me. "Go, take a shower. I will be here when you are finished." As I got up to limp over to the bathroom he sprawled out on the bed, I might have been imagining it but I swear I could hear him curse.

"Is something wrong?" I ventured.

"No," he said, looking up at the ceiling. "Fate has a very good sense of humor. Now wash up, dawn is approaching."

I closed the bathroom door tightly behind me and would have locked but there was no lock on the door. Eric and I might be on close terms in my 'normal' life but he was a stranger to me now. I shucked off my clothing when out of the corner of my eye I saw a blond woman with a pretty face, long blond hair, blue eyes and - I yelped in surprise. The woman was me; it was my reflection in the bathroom mirror. Before I knew what was happening the bathroom door was open. I started screaming and trying to cover myself up but I didn't know where the towels were.

Eric stood there; either admiring the view or shocked into inaction I couldn't be sure. After what seemed like an eternity he opened a cabinet, grabbed a fluffy white towel and settled it around my shoulders like a man casting out a blanket for a picnic. I was ten shades of red. But all he could do was laugh.

"I have seen all of it before, and it is glorious." He was positively leering at me. "Why did you scream?"

"I uh." What could I say? I saw myself in the mirror and it scared the crap out of me? No, too honest. I'm an idiot? Too self pitying. "Um." I nodded toward the mirror. Eric's eyes followed my chin, he frowned slightly.

"You saw yourself in the mirror?"

I only nodded, showing my embarrassment at the whole situation with a deeper blush. "Sookie," Eric started, then he changed his mind and turned from me to the bath - actually it was a shower the bath was separate. I was glad he did, the shower had a number of shower heads and it wasn't immediately obvious how to turn it on.

"Thanks," I managed when he was done.

He watched me for a moment. I still had to towel wrapped tightly around me; he looked like he wanted to say something. "You are welcome," was all that came out. "I will be right outside if you need me." He paused, saying with smile, "or want me."

"I think that will not be necessary. But thank you." I tried to sound cool. Was my normal self (I as I had started to think of the memoried version of me) really involved with this guy? The hot water from the shower was starting to fog up the room. He gave me a last lingering look and left the room. I dropped the towel and stepped into the shower. It was glorious. My feet stung from the water and would sting more when I washed them again, but the heat and the water all combined into what I thought must have been one of the more satisfying showers of my life.

After the shower I ran my fingers through my wet hair (couldn't find a comb) and pulled on the borrowed tee shirt. I wiped the fog off the mirror and stared at my reflection willing myself to remember before the last 8 hours but there was only blackness. I thought I looked tired and terrified, a winning combination to be sure. Dissatisfied with what I saw, I blotted my hair with the towel one more time and stepped out of the steamy bathroom.

The only light in the room came from the bathroom. Even in half darkness I could see Eric lounging like a cat on the bed. He wasn't looking at anything, not me, not the ceiling, since he didn't breath he didn't move at all. He was a beautiful, pale, statue draped across the bed. It was creepy to say the least. As I got closer to the bed he must have become aware I was there because he sat right up and looked at me. "You must be tired." He said.

"Exhausted." I confessed.

He got up and pulled back the comforter and the sheets motioning me to climb in. When I was all tucked in, he lay down next to me on his side. It was immensely comforting just to have him there. I rolled over on my side and snuggled against him. He took my right hand in his. "How are your feet, dear one?"

"They hurt, but they're just scraped up." We lay there in silence. "Was I in a car accident?"

Silence.

"Why?" He asked carefully.

"I have all these scars on my body. My legs."

"There was an accident not that long ago." He said neutrally and didn't elaborate.

"How did you find me? Out on the road?"

"The bond, I felt your panic when I rose for the night. I tried to call you, then your boss, then your friend Amelia. None of them knew where you were."

We lay there in silence for a long, long time.

"Thank you, Eric."

"For what?"

"For protecting me and finding me out on that dark road." And though I would not have thought it was possible to go to sleep holding hands with a vampire, that's exactly what I did.


	5. Chapter 5

_Standard disclaimer: I do not own any of this. I own a poodle and you can't have him._

_A big thank you to my betareader Sarifina85, who, will teach me how to use commas correctly (this will be an uphill battle). But I really do appreciate her efforts. _

_Summary thus far (because I get confused when I read other fanfics): Sookie is out on the road with no memory of how she got there. Eric finds her and takes her to Fangtasia where he learns she can read vampire minds (whoops). After consulting with Pam and Bill (he leaves out the part about Sookie reading vamp minds) he takes Sookie home with him. She has a good night sleep. _

_This chapter: we learn who took away Sookie's memory and why._

_Next chapter: __Sookie starts to learn how to control her "gift" & Eric does what Eric does best (get your minds out of the gutter)._

* * *

I woke up slowly. As I lay snuggled under the covers, now and then stretching an arm or a leg, I gradually remembered . . . nothing. The only memory I had was of the night before, anything more was a void.

Eric was gone. My heart fell somewhere below my stomach and my pulse began to race. Then I remembered, Eric was a vampire, sun still sent weak winter rays of light through the window; wherever Eric was it could not be in this room. I stayed in bed for a while, trying to will my mind back into action but nothing came. My feet ached some, so I decided to get out of bed and find a clock.

I walked gingerly on my injured feet into the kitchen finding the day's newspaper and a note: _Lover, if you are reading this you woke up in the daytime hours. Please do not leave this place, you are safe here. My day man has brought over food; clothing will have to wait until Pam joins us this evening. Eat. You will see me when the sun sets. ~E. _The clock on the microwave read 5:15. I figured the sun would set soon enough.

After taking care of business in the bathroom I paced around the kitchen trying to figure out where everything was. I found coffee but no cream; did I like coffee with cream? I didn't know. The front page of the newspaper gave a breakdown the day. Day: February 27, 2006, sunrise: 6:45 a.m. sunset: 6:11 p.m. _The deadline to release Jill Caroll had passed and her kidnappers threatened to execute her...._I stopped reading. Maybe not having any memory was a good thing.

I found myself dithering anxiously around the house feeling helpless. 5:30. My stomach growled so I grabbed a piece of cinnamon raisin bread and chewed on it thoughtfully. I could take a shower and get ready for 'the day.'

It took a few minutes to remember how to turn on the shower. I was sure this was needlessly complicated. Eventually I got water to come out, a little while later I got hot water to come out. Score! I tossed my borrowed tee shirt on the bed and headed to the shower. Last night I'd noticed a number of scars on my legs. They weren't real noticeable but they were there. Some of them even looked like bite marks. Maybe an animal attacked me. Maybe I was in a car accident and this was some kind of retrograde amnesia. Neither of these possibilities rang true for me. I soaped up some more, thinking through what I did know: Eric seemed powerful, well to me anyway. Certainly the other two vampires deferred to him, he seemed to care about me, and he claimed I was his "vampire wife." I laughed a little thinking about that, _vampire wife. _That was ridiculous. I hurried through the rest of my shower, Eric would be awake soon and while it seemed we had a fairly intimate relationship I wasn't altogether comfortable with him seeing me naked, again. No matter how hot he was.

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped one of his big, fluffy towels around myself. Eric was very serious about his bath accoutrement. On the vanity Eric left out a comb for me to use. A comb that had not been there for me to use when I got in the shower. Reaching out with my mind I could feel a void somewhere in my brain. "Eric?" I called hesitantly while picking up the comb.

"Yes Sookie," came the reply from the bedroom.

I let out a breath. Thank god. I stepped out of the bathroom feeling a million times better, more sure of myself. Everything would be alright because this glorious creature was here. Eric lay on my bed all splayed out in catlike magnificence wearing dark jeans and a tight red tee shirt. His feet were bare and he was on his cell phone, one hand rested under his head looking for all the world like a living god. He motioned for me to join him. Saying into his phone, "bring the witch here." I felt very sorry for the witch, he did not seem pleased.

He flipped the cell phone shut and I joined him on the bed. Before I could snuggle up to him he grabbed one of my feet. "Let me see."

"They're fine, just small cuts, really." I found it vaguely embarrassing to have my feet inspected by him.

"No doubt you have had worse, but cuts to extremities tend to get infected."

"Because of the dirt?"

"Lack of blood flow," he explained.

I'm not sure what I had planned when I joined him on the bed -- but this wasn't it. Satisfied with his inspection of my feet he looked at me. I started combing out my wet hair.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked.

He stared at me relentlessly. "Um, pretty well. I woke up around 5." This meant something to him. "What are you thinking?"

"Can't you just read my mind?"

"You said not to." He roared with laughter.

I gave him what I hoped was a withering look. "Forgive me, but you are not known for doing as I ask."

"Look where that got me, naked with no memory and cut feet in your bedroom."

"You say that as if it is a bad thing."

"I'm pretty sure at least 2 of those 4 aren't **good**, Eric." I said, laughing.

He took the comb from my hand and pulled me closer to him so we were both on our sides. I snuggled up against him feeling at that moment so perfectly content, so utterly whole that I never wanted to leave that bed if it meant giving up this feeling of bliss.

"It is good to hear you laugh again. Now tell me, which two would those be?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? And about the mind reading thing...I can't hear you." He made an incredulous sound. "I **can't!** I had two glimpses into your mind, that's it I swear." I wished I could see his face, so I twisted under him until my back was against the bed as I looked up at him; he brushed a few strands of wet hair out of my face. "So I take it this ability to read your mind is new?"

"I do not know, you never told me before."

"Why didn't I?"

"I do not know, perhaps you were afraid I would be angry."

"Uh...are you?"

He hesitated. "No. I cannot be angry about something you have no control over, much less no understanding of. Your "real" self was smart to keep this hidden, no vampire should know of your ability. Not even me." I felt the blood drain out of my face. "Sookie," he said planting a light kiss on my forehead, "you are perfectly safe. Even if I have to keep you here with me for the rest of your life." I was very conscious of the fact that only a damp towel separated me from him. He ran a hand over one of my bare arms, I found myself shuddering at his touch. I wanted more of him. "Are you cold, lover," he smirked. When I didn't answer he went silent for a moment.

His mouth was on mine then kissing me slowly, leisurely. He was an excellent kisser, or at least I thought so -- the fact that I had nothing to compare this to didn't bother me as much as it should have. My hands moved to his shoulders and I ran my hands down his back. Eric seemed to have six hands, and they were everywhere, encouraging my body to have its way. When his cell phone buzzed angrily, he let out a groan of frustration.

"This is Eric," he said, still hovering above me. When the speaker on the other end continued he sat up against the headboard of the bed. "Madden, yes proceed."

I lay on the bed for a while basking in my own disappointment of nearly sleeping with a stranger -- no matter how good it felt. I tried to console myself by reminding myself we were like husband and wife (or at least he had said so) though I wondered at my willingness to just go along with whatever his and my body wanted.

"Yes, of course she will be able to do that. No, that isn't necessary." They spoke for a while. Back in forth about a bunch of stuff. I didn't want to leave Eric's side so I just lay there, curled up with my head on his stomach. He seemed to enjoy the contact, running his hand over my damp head. It was very soothing. After what seemed like forever he shut the phone.

"Who was that?" I ventured.

"Victor Madden, the king's -- Felipe de Castro's representative in Louisiana."

"I don't know what that means."

"I know," he said softly.

He spent the next hour explaining the take over and Victor Madden's role in Louisiana. Eric told me that Felipe wanted me brought to Las Vegas because I would be so useful as his personal telepath but my status as Eric's wife prevented it since his claim to me superseded even the King's will. "And you wouldn't give me to him, would you?" I asked weakly?

"No. We are too tightly bound for that." He was silent as he listened for something. "Pam is here. Stay here and I will bring you your clothing."

He left and I remained lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling. "Real" me had kept her ability a carefully guarded secret in all the years she'd known Eric. I knew him for less than 4 hours before blowing it. Not good Sookie, not good at all.

Eric came back with two suitcases. Apparently the vampires were planning on me being with them for a while. "Dress and join us." I felt a singular sense of calm, "It will be fine." He was gone.

Alone again I felt naked and vulnerable. I dressed as quickly as possible throwing on the first pair of jeans I could find and a blue sweater. From the kitchen I could hear three voices, Eric, and two women. The microwave dinged as I quietly entered the kitchen.

Pam was there, and another woman. A human woman I realized because I could hear her every thought. It was like tuning into a particularly clear radio station only: in my head. She looked terrified. Her thoughts were a crazy jumble of fear and sadness. "Sookie!" She cried and started to run over to me. I knew she knew me. From her thoughts she was genuinely happy to see me. But I didn't know her and that made me afraid. I looked at Eric hesitantly.

"Eric?" I said.

_Oh my god. What did I do? _The lady was thinking. _Oh Sookie, I'm so sorry. OH GOD ERIC NORTHMAN IS GOING TO RIP MY BEATING HEART OUT AND EAT IT._

I actually flinched from the intensity of the thoughts. The woman ran over to me and hugged me but I tried to pull away. "Um, nice to meet you." I said lamely.

_Oh, Sookie it's me: Amelia._

I grabbed my head, hoping to shut her out.

"Sookie, what's wrong?"

The two vampires were watching us. "Your thoughts are so -- loud."

She let go of me. "You can't shut out my thoughts?"

"I could shut out your thoughts?" I said hopefully. If I'd learned to do it once, no reason I couldn't learn to do it again.

"Oh god," said the woman, dropping her head to her hands.

Pam spoke up, True Blood in hand, "Sookie, this is Amelia; she was, or rather is, your roommate. She rents a room for you in Bon Temps." She breezed past us on the way to the family room. "Eric, Felicia and Thalia will have to open Fangtasia tonight. Amelia has something she needs to share with you." Pam tried to give Amelia a look that might have passed for vampire reassurance.

True Blood in one hand, Eric took my elbow and guided me into the family room. We sat on the sofa, Pam and Amelia took up positions in two, big, leather chairs. The room was centered around a fireplace and a TV. The sofa was soft, black leather while the two lounge chairs were deep burgundy red, also leather. I figured blood came off of leather much easier than something else like fabric or suede, very practical of my vampire.

I started to shake, Amelia's brain was pinging in fear and it started to affect me. Eric's brows drew together, he stroked my hair with his free hand an action I found wonderfully comforting. "Speak."

Amelia was almost paralyzed. It didn't matter I knew exactly what she needed to say and why she was so afraid to say it._ You, big jerk. You got my boyfriend killed because you dragged all of us into this fairy-vampire shit and now you're going to kill me. _

"He won't kill you." I hope it sounded like the truth. Heck, I hoped it _was _true.

"Somebody had better start talking," said Eric.

Pam broke in. "Amelia did it. She cast a spell to make Sookie forget," she stopped for a moment unsure what to say. Then she looked at me, "do you want her to hear this?"

The whole room was looking at me now: Eric, Pam and a very frightened Amelia. I pressed myself into Eric's side. Amelia kept on having the most disturbing visions of a dead man, a funeral, me battered and beaten. "Please stop that," I said weakly.

Eric looked down at me. "You could control this in the past, you can control it now. Work on shutting Amelia out." He looked over at Amelia venomously, "How?"

"I cast a spell." She looked down at the floor. "A spell for her to forget the worst of what happened."

"Why?"

"You know why." '_Ass_,' she thought

"Can you undo it?"

This seemed to be going better than Amelia had thought it would. Now she was thinking she might go home alive tonight. "Not right away, no." _'Don't you think I would if I could?'_

Eric let out a low growl. "'Not right away'."

"This didn't work the way I thought it would. I wanted to _lessen_ her memories not erase them entirely. I need to figure out what went wrong." There was a long pause.

"Say it." Eric's voice was so level and even I knew how much danger Amelia was in.

Amelia swallowed and seemed to square her shoulders bravely. "Eric, it could be permanent." _Amelia was thinking, it might even be for the best._

The energy of the room froze.

"'Permanent,'" he said.

"I know, I'm sorry," she rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands.

"Oh, well if you are sorry I suppose you can go home. Really, Amelia you are sorry? Sookie meets the king of Louisiana in two nights and you are _sorry?_"

"You know what? Fuck you Eric Northman!" Amelia shouted, Pam actually gasped. Eric was on his feet in a vampiric flash and towering over Amelia but she was feeding off so much anger and rage she had none of it. "Where were you? Where the **fuck** were you when all this went down? Why did Tray have to step in and do your job?"

I knew I should say something, anything. I was actually frozen in place by Amelia's fear; being a telepath sucked. Eric was going to rip her head off. Pam stood up and started to push him away from Amelia. He only growled at her, but she didn't give in. Once she had a little space Amelia stood up and backed away from the other two vampires, like that was going to do any good. Pam remained between them.

Amelia looked wildly at me, "please don't let him kill me."

Well, now or never Sookie. I imagined myself building a wall to shut out Amelia's thoughts, they didn't go away entirely but it was more like hearing background noise rather than a radio blasting in my ear. "Eric Please don't," I said, getting up from the sofa and joining Pam over by Amelia. Eric didn't budge so I took another step closer and picked up Amelia's hand in mine -- boy was that a mistake. When I touched Amelia's arm, it came in a big rush, everything, all of it. Meeting for the first time, her love of Trey, her love for me. Bob the Cat, Octavia, her and Pam. My eyes started to tear up. Amelia was right; maybe I didn't want to remember. In her memories I was -- broken.

"Woman, you should take care in how you speak to me." Eric was still very focused on Amelia.

"Oh, Amelia," I said dropping her hand and turning to her. "I'm so sorry" I said in a whisper.

"No," she said bursting into tears, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Sookie, I wanted to help you." She hugged me and I knew she was telling the truth, I saw myself as I had been through her eyes. Broken and lost. I tried to push her thoughts out of my head.

"Eat me, you asshole." Spat out Amelia to Eric over my shoulder. Well she had pluck, I'd say that for her, and she was smart, Eric was unlikely to kill her while she hugged me.

Eric easily went around Pam and pulled me gently away from Amelia. He bent down a little so his eyes were on her level. "Little girl, you would do well not to make such requests of creatures all too capable of accomplishing such a thing."

"Eric, you can't kill her," piped up Pam.

Eric didn't look as though he believed that. "Hallow died. There are other witches, more capable than this one."

"Not that. Sookie won't forgive you if you kill Amelia. Assuming of course she ever gets her memory back." It was good to know I held a grudge. It was also good to see how Pam appealed to Eric's rational side and that I was important enough to him that he wouldn't risk upsetting me by killing a woman I thought of as my friend.

Silence filled the room until Amelia took in a ragged breath and said, "The only thing Sookie has done for the past month is go to work and go to the grocery store. She doesn't sleep; when she does sleep she wakes up screaming. I was _trying _to help her. Whatever _you_ were doing wasn't working."

Eric forced himself away from us. First one step and then another. He sat back down and seemed to take in a long breath. Crisis averted, Pam sat back down. I patted Amelia on the arm saying, "it's going to be fine," I wasn't actually sure of this but she seemed like she needed the boost in confidence, and went to sit with Eric on the sofa. After a few moments of hesitation Amelia sat herself down in the big burgundy lounger.

He looked at Pam, his voice was all authority and calm, "Call Bill, and tell him to come here. I sent him to speak to her boss but we know what happened now. He can tell us nothing." Since he explained more than he had to I figured he said the last bit for my benefit. "He helped her with her gift before, he can help her again. Call Ludwig. Her services are not needed. Amelia you will stay here and be practice. You will call your mentor and ask her for help. Pam, I must go to _Fangtasia _and prepare for the King's arrival. Do not leave Sookie alone."

When he rose I realize he was leaving me here with two near strangers. I felt panic as I tried to come to grips with my fear Eric bent to kiss me on the cheek. I felt warm and safe. "You must stay here, Pam will not leave you and she will not harm you. Do as she asks in my absence. When Bill arrives let him help you. I will return in a few hours."

With that he was gone, leaving me with a witch and a snarky, blond. Pam spoke first, "Well my telepathic friend, you are never boring," she said with a snicker. She went over to Amelia. "I told you it would be OK."

"What if I can't fix her?" Amelia asked blankly.

Pam shrugged walking over to pick up Eric's empty bottle of blood. "Then you'll have given him what he has wanted for years."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Pam gave me a long appraising look and then looked at me evenly. "Don't worry about it," she said, and I didn't.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6  
**

_Summary thus far (because I get confused): Sookie is out on the road with no memory of how she got there. Eric finds her and takes her to Fangtasia where he learns she can read vampire minds (whoops). After consulting with Pam and Bill (he leaves out the part about Sookie reading vamp minds) he takes Sookie home with him. She has a good night's sleep. The next night we learn Amelia accidently erased Sookie's memory (hey it happens)._

_This chapter: Sookie starts to learn how to control her "gift" & Eric does what Eric does best (get your mind out of the gutter)._

_Next chapter: Victor Madden _

_

* * *

  
_

Pam disappeared into the kitchen,I could hear her talking to someone on the phone, she was calling _Compton, _I figured. I heard the microwave ding. "If you two are hungry there is food in the fridge. Eric's day man brought it over."

Pam emerged from the kitchen holding a true blood and a beer. The beer she handed to Amelia, who still sat slumped in her chair, "You'll be needing this. None for you my little Sookie," said Pam wagging her index finger at me. "The last thing we need is a drunk, amnesic, telepath on the loose." Pam dropped herself onto the recliner she had just abandoned, stretching out her legs. I just stared at her. She smiled to Amelia, "See, I told you he wouldn't kill you."

Amelia took a two big gulps from the beer. "Octavia is gone, I can't ask her for help."

"Gone how?" asked Pam, smirking. "This really can't get any better. Is there anything you are leaving out Amelia, you should tell me now before Eric gets back and changes his mind about not killing you."

"Gone to some magical retreat in Ireland. Ever since the Fairies left the balance of magic has been -- different," Amelia said, numbly.

"Well that is a pickle." Pam took a swig from her True Blood. "Is there a way to reach her?"

"Not really, no." Amelia took a fortifying chug.

I hadn't moved from the sofa since Eric left. Partially frozen in fear, partially shocked into immobility. "So, wait. When is Bill is coming here?"

Pam looked over at me, smirking "He should be here in less than a hour. Compton would never give up the opportunity to get close to you."

I rubbed my eyes, it was exhausting trying to keep out Amelia's thoughts. Every now and then a particularly strong one (mostly terror) would make its way through whatever barrier I had set up and slap me upside the head. "He and I had a relationship, right?"

Pam snickered, "Oh this is rich." she said, her voice dripping in sarcasm. "He and you before you and Eric."

Amelia drained the rest of her beer. "Are there more back there?" she asked Pam.

"Help yourself," Pam nodded to the kitchen. "You should eat Sookie, you need your strength."

I followed Amelia into the kitchen. "Sookie," Amelia said.

I waved my hand at her shaking my head. "Amelia, it's OK. You need to know that." Really, she did. Ameila's brain was in turmoil, partly because of this train-wreck but also because of Trey. Being a telepath might be terrible but you did know where you stood with people. Amelia loved me, I knew she did, even though she blamed me for Trey's death, she still loved me and would go toe to toe with a 1000 year old, Viking vampire if she had to. Wait, Eric was 1000 years old? How was that even possible? I opened up the refrigerator and looked for what the day man had brought by. I wondered how someone got that gig and what it paid. Amelia fished out a second beer.

"Thanks for stepping in for me. With Eric I mean." She looked down at the floor.

I just laughed. "Amelia, I must be a pretty good friend to risk casting a spell like this over me."

Amelia hugged me again, "You're the very best kind of friend." But she thought _If only Trey didn't have to die to save your life. _Yes, being a telepath sucked.

Eventually I settled on chicken breast and roasted vegetables. "Chicken?" I asked.

"I'm good with beer." Amelia nodded to the vanilla porter in her hands. We rejoined Pam in the family room. She hadn't left the sofa, she sat in the same absolute stillness I'd seen Eric in just an hour or so before. When we got close enough she seemed to snap out of it. "Haven't gotten into any more trouble have you? Maybe found yourself a bunch of elves to piss off?"

"Elves?" I chewed a piece of chicken.

Pam just laughed. "I'll file that under, 'not yet'. We spent the next hour or so eating and talking. Well I ate, Pam finished off a third blood and Amelia worked on getting drunk.

I dreaded that hour ending. But it did, and there was a knock at the door. "It is Bill." There seemed to be an empty hole instead of a mind signature on the other side of the front door. Pam didn't move, answering doors didn't seem to be her thing and Amelia was a little sloshed so I got up and opened the door.

"Sookie, how are you?"

"Pretty good, I guess. Other than having no memory of anything." We walked back into the family room. Pam was grinning.

"You two," she said. "Bill, there is blood in the kitchen."

"I fed before I came," he said.

I was dithering about the room trying to think about how to proceed. Bill didn't seem to have any idea either, Pam's cell phone rang she glanced down to answer it, looked at the three of us saying, "I will be outside."

This left me, a vampire and a rapidly deteriorating Amelia alone in the family room. I retreated to the sofa but Bill followed, sitting gingerly beside me. The night before I had been too scared of everyone to make any real observations. Tonight I could see Bill was a handsome man, but he looked so sick. His skin had a grayish hue to it and his cheeks were gaunt. I wondered if he had been sick when he was turned into a vampire and this was how he had to go through the rest of eternity. The idea depressed me, terribly.

Bill was watching me tentatively. "Sweetheart" he began, "I know you must be very frightened right now, but you will get through this."

"Um." I tried to cast my mind back to knowing this person, I willed myself to think of how we met, who he was, our "relationship," but nothing came. It was just blackness. I even fished in Amelia's brain for a clue. Amelia was singularly unhelpful she was thinking about beer and how to reverse the spell (in that order).

Bill took my hand in his, I quailed away from him but being a vampire he didn't have to let go. Sick or not he was much stronger than I was and he didn't let go. "Sookie, you should know you and I are friends. I love you and would never hurt you."

"Then you can let go of my hand," I said as smartly as I dared, which wasn't very. My heart was pounding, I had an incredible urge to run away.

"If I do," he said smoothly, "you'll just run away." He had a point.

"Bill," Amelia said wearily, "she doesn't remember _anything._ You're just scareing the crap out of her."

I gave Amelia a grateful look. Amelia took a swig from her beer and thought, loudly,_ Bill, if you hit on her like this I will turn you into a frog._

Bill gave me a bitter smile and pulled me closer. "There have been many nights when I have wished you would forget everything between us. Now you have, and I only wish you to be back to your old self. But I am here to help you sweetheart, I want you to relax. You need to let me help you. Please trust me."

I felt myself relax, I looked into his big brown eyes, "What do you want me to do?"

Pam popped back in, and took a long look at me, then one at Bill. Wordlessly she took her her place in the empty lounge chair.

"I want you to clear your mind." He was still holding my hand and I noticed it was easier to focus on nothing than before.

"Bill?" I asked.

"Yes darling."

"How did we meet?"

Bill kept his face carefully blank. "I came into your bar one day. A powerful vampire had learned of your abilities and sent me there to find you."

"Eric?"

"No, not Eric."

"What happened?"

"I fell in love with you." His voice was almost perfectly flat.

"And?"

"And, we dated for a while."

"But not now." I said.

"No, not now, we had a relationship and then we broke up."

Pam snickered, "That's one way to describe it Bill. You might want to fill her in on the rest. Before Eric has to do it for you, again." Bill was silent. "In for a penny, Bill," said Pam dryly.

"Pam!"

I looked from Bill to Pam then settled on Amelia. It was all there. The day I woke up in New Orleans after finding out Bill had betrayed me to the Queen. "You asshole!" I said to Bill more vehemently than he deserved, most of my emotions in this area were Amelia's. She was so angry at Bill that day. She was angry at him for something else too but it was gone before I could fish for it further. I clapped my hands over my mouth before I said anything more. Pam snickered, loudly.

"Sookie! I'm sorry," exclaimed Bill, "you have to understand that was a long time ago."

"Oh no you don't, Compton." Pam broke in, "I lived through this once, I'm not going to live through it again. Bill, you are here on orders from your _Sheriff_ to do a job; not to make right past hurts. Sookie, whether you want to or not you _need _to learn from him. You can't stay this way. Amelia, start thinking loud thoughts -- preferably ones where Compton acts like an ass, that should give you a wide selection."

Once Pam laid down the law we got to work. Bill sat with me on the sofa holding my hand. I found it was easier to focus my thoughts and block out Amelia when I held on to a vampire. I would have to try this again later with Pam or Eric since I wasn't sure if it was my past relationship with Bill that gave me this power or if any vamp would do. Amelia did a great job, she shared some fairly embarrassing stories about herself and warm memories of us sitting together watching movies with mud masks on our faces. Whatever my history with Bill, he was a patient teacher. Every time my "shields" failed me he patted my hand and told me to try again. Every-time I wept in frustration as Amelia's thoughts overpowered my own ability to shut her out he assured me I would learn.

After hours of work I was mentally exhausted. "Can we take a break?" I could block out Amelia for the most part, unless I was distracted (Pam would distract me by going through old calendar proofs of Fangtasia's staff). I rubbed my eyes, "I don't think I can do this any longer."

Bill was looking a little worn himself. As the night wore on his pallor only increased, his cheeks looked even more gaunt somehow and that underlying tone of gray became more pronounced. I thought it rude to ask why. "I should be getting back to Bon Temps. I need my rest. Amelia, I can give you a ride." Amelia was pretty far gone with the number of beers she'd had and the near death experience with Eric. "You probably don't want to be here when Eric gets back."

A wave of terror hit me. I glared at Amelia. She shrugged at me helplessly. Just then I was hit by a delightful feeling of warmth and good cheer. "You guys might want to go then, I think Eric is almost here."

Bill and Amelia didn't need engraved invitations. Amelia handed me an empty beer bottle and kissed me on the cheek "I'll find a way to fix this," she said.

Bill took my hand in his and said, "Darling, whatever happens I will be here to help you," and disappeared out the front door. Pam rolled her eyes.

I walked the beer bottle over to the trash, noting Eric recycled and started to police the area. Pam watched with a smirk on her face. "Thanks for tonight Pam," I said as I picked up her last True Blood bottle. I filled it half way with water and gave it a good shake before letting the dirty (read: bloody) water run out. Then I tossed it with the beer bottles in recycling.

"You're welcome Sookie, do you want me to stay?" she paused, I could hear the garage door opening.

"Um, no." I must have looked confused.

"I wasn't sure you would be comfortable with him."

"She's fine with me, Pam." Eric said icily. My heart filled with joy, Eric had returned.

Pam gave him a long look. "The witch's mentor is out of the country and cannot be reached. You can either wait for Octavia to return or wait for Amelia to attempt and lift the spell. Both will take longer than two days."

"Is she gone?" Eric must have felt my anxiousness for Amelia's safety because he said, "She is safe from me, Sookie. But this isn't the first time she has cast a spell to disastrous results. She and I _will _discuss this at a later date."

Pam rolled her eyes. "Then I am leaving." And she did.

So there I was with Eric. With Amelia gone I let down the primitive shields I'd learned to construct and took in a deep breath. Relief flooded every part of my being. "I understand now, why I'm attracted to your kind."

"Oh?" asked Eric as he crossed the room to me. "I thought it was our stunning good looks, warm personalities and skill in bed." I could feel a distinct hint of pleasure coming from him.

"I can vouch for two out of those three." I said, leaning into him. "Shutting people out is exhausting."

"Then we should get you to bed." I knew he didn't mean to but he was leering.

"You can't say that with a straight face, can you?"

"No and I wouldn't want to."

I only laughed and followed him into the bedroom. "Let me look at your feet lover."

"I thought you could just heal them?" I asked.

He flopped on the bed, kicking off his own shoes and motioning for me to join him. I sat down next to him, offering him one of my feet. "Healing you would require that I give you some of my blood. And while that would give me great pleasure, lover, I am not sure what you would think of the process."

"You just looked at them a few hours ago." He ran a light finger over the cuts and scratches. And yes, taking his blood seemed like a fairly disgusting idea to me.

"Maybe I just like looking at your feet." He said at last. "There is no infection and they have scabbed over. Don't go walking on gravel roads for a while and you should be fine."

"I had a good nurse, and if I can avoid having any more spells cast one me I should be OK," I said, smiling at him. His face didn't reveal anything but for the barest of moments a heavy weight of sadness passed over him. "What?" I asked as he reached over to me and brushed my hair away from my face.

"It has been far too long since anyone saw you smile."

It occurred to me that I should ask what happened to me to leave covered in scars, refusing to go anywhere but work and the grocery store. "Eric?" I asked softly, "Would you think less of me if I didn't want to know."

Eric went very still. Maybe he was thinking the pros and the cons of not telling me, maybe he was going over whatever happened at Fangtasia that night. I didn't know, and after meeting Amelia I reflected that it was wonderful not to know. "Lover," started Eric as he lay back on the bed and pulled me to his side, "You are one of the bravest people I know. Human, Vampire or Were. You have saved my life -- twice, you have saved Pam's life -- in a moment of frailty you even saved Compton's life. I could never think of you as a coward." He leveraged himself up on the bed so he was looking down at me. His hair fell across his face and onto mine. He looked very -- pristine, and beautiful.

I wanted to ask him what a Were was, I wanted to know how I saved his life -- twice, I wanted to know who Pam was to him and why he seemed to detest Bill. But instead I switched off my mind and let my body take over. I curled my fingers into his long hair and reached up to kiss him. There was a moment of hesitation and then he finally gave in.

"Tell me what you learned tonight, lover?" I could have sworn he was purring.

Between kisses I described the night. "Well I learned you're 1000 years old."

"Fascinating." He nuzzled my neck. I grinned trying to squirm away from him but he held me fast.

"I learned you're Sheriff."

"Mhhh. Boring." His lips lingered on mine.

"I can concentrate better when I hold Bill's hand." Eric let out a little grunt of displeasure. "But I'm not sure if it's just him or any vampire."

"We'll have to try that tomorrow night."

"Bill showed me how to block out Amelia."

"How'd he do that lover." By now he'd slipped his hand up under my sweater and was cupping one of my breasts, his thumb rolled over my nipple drawing a gasp out of me and a grin from him.

I tried to remember how exactly Bill showed me that particular trick. "Well, it's a little like building a wall but with your brain. You focus on each brick, not the wall. Once you can see the individual brick the wall follows." I got distracted when Eric's hand started to unbutton my jeans.

"Go on," he offered. It was awfully hard to think. A finger slid down past the band of my panties and slid into me.

"Ah." My body wanted him terribly. My mind was several steps away on 'this person is kinda a stranger to you'. "Bill says once I get a little practice I'll be able to do it without thinking about it." I babbled on some more about bricks and shields and I don't know what else. Eric seemed to do me the courtesy of listening but he seemed intent on other things. Before I really knew what was going on my sweater was off, followed in short order by my bar, jeans and panties. Clearly, the man had magical powers of his own.

When I didn't resist any of this he whispered in my ear, "What are you thinking, lover."

I told him everything in my head. That I wanted to be with him, I wanted him to never leave me, I wanted him. He cursed and pulled away from me, taking in a deep and unnecessary breath. "What's wrong?" I asked, now feeling rather embarrassed by my nakedness.

"Those are my thoughts, my emotions. It is the bond, telling you what to do."

"So?"

"So, you're trying to sleep with me because _I_ want you to."

"So?"

He let out an exasperated grunt and rubbed the area between his eyes. "Lover, I want all of you, make no mistake. But not like this. Not when your decisions are not your own." He handed me the tee shirt I'd worn to bed the night before and waited for me to pull it on before he continued. "I want to try something. Look at me lover." His voice sounded smooth and seductive. "I want you to go get me a True Blood."

I started to roll of the bed when he grabbed my hand. I looked at him quizzically. "I'm just going to go get you a Blood."

"I know. I just glamoured you into doing it. Try again, this time try resisting me the same way Bill showed you how to block out thoughts."

I sat down on the bed again cross legged and tried to build up the wall Bill had shown me. Eric looked deeply into my eyes saying, "Go get me a True Blood."

I could feel him in my mind. I felt tweaks of power flow over me -- I wanted to go get that damn True Blood, but I knew the desire wasn't my own so I stayed put. He asked again, "Get me a True Blood." The urge was stronger this time, I started to uncross my legs but I thought of the wall, I thought of pushing back the feeling. With one last mental shove Eric was out of my mind.

I looked at him with a smile on my face. "Hey! It worked. Kinda."

"What do you mean, kinda?"

"Well, I still want to go get you that True Blood, but I know I want to do it because of the glamour. Is that all you've got?" I asked, feeling confident.

Eric looked grim and thought a moment before explaining himself. "I could lie to you Sookie and give you a false sense of confidence. But, no. I didn't put much effort into it. You may be able to resist a very young vampire. This is a start. You will learn."

"Try again."

"I don't want to tire you out."

"Try again, Eric."

His eyes met mine and I found myself falling into his deep, blue eyes. It was a wonderful feeling. The next thing I knew I was sitting on the bed, warm True Blood in hand and a cookie in the other. I frowned at him.

"I thought you should have a little something too," He said with a wink, taking the True Blood out of my hand and leaning against the headboard of the bed. I just stared at him.

"That was mean."

"You asked me to do it, Sookie. Eat your cookie."

I looked down at the cookie, apparently Eric had also glamoured me into to microwaving it for a few seconds because the chocolate chips were all melty and gooey. It was divine. "Ass."

"Prideful woman." He said taking a swig from the True Blood but he raised it in toast to me.

"Tomorrow you will come with me to Fangtasia and practice keeping fangbangers out of your head."

"Fangbangers?"

"People who try to sleep with vampires."

"Like me?" He'd said the word with some distaste, I wanted clarification.

"No, not like you. People with no sense of pride." There was that word again.

We stayed there talking for the next hour or so. If I was exhausted after learning how to keep Amelia's thoughts out of my head I was bone-weary after Eric's efforts. He kept me entertained by telling me about what to expect at Fangtasia the next night. Eventually I curled up on the bed next to him as dawn approached I felt him leave the bed, go to the kitchen, and warm up a blood. The bond we shared hummed with peaceful happiness. I wasn't sure if it was his happiness or mine, I didn't care. I wanted to call after him but by then I was so tired I drifted off to sleep on a blissful wave of complete contentment. Whoever I had been before the last two days didn't matter to me. I was here now, I was delightfully happy (if a little scared from time to time) and I never wanted to leave.

* * *

A/N -Housekeeping notes:

A thousand thanks to my beta. I appreciate her work and the thought she put in to this last chapter.

Again, I own nothing. This is based of the works of C. Harris.


	7. Chapter 7

_Summary thus far (because I get confused when I read other fanfics): Sookie is out on the road with no memory of how she got there. Eric finds her and takes her to Fangtasia where he learns she can read vampire minds (whoops). After consulting with Pam and Bill (he leaves out the part about Sookie reading vamp minds) he takes Sookie home with him. She has a good night sleep. The next night we learn Amelia accidently erased Sookie's memory (hey it happens). Bill comes over to teach Sookie how to control her "gift." Eric returns from Fangtasia and discovers having what you've always wanted isn't what it's cracked up to be._

_This chapter: Victor Madden! No good will come of this._

_Next Chapter: Vegas! Spies! Oh My!_

* * *

**Chapter 7**

I woke in darkness with Eric staring at me fixedly. For a few moments I had a terrible feeling of disorientation. "What are you looking at?"

"You."

"Why?" I asked, sleepily.

"You look very peaceful when you sleep." I could feel my cheeks color. I didn't know why. His brows were drawn together and he was frowning as if he were in deep thought.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking I am your whole world."

"You are." I reached up to his face to wipe his frown away.

"And I'd better not fail you."

"You won't," I said assuredly. "How long have you been watching me?" I asked, stretching under the covers.

"A few years now," he said wryly.

I laughed a little and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "I slept the whole day away?"

"It would seem so. I never realized how taxing telepathy is." The room was nearly perfectly dark, the only light streamed in through the doorway from the family room. Eric had apparently already gotten ready for the night; he was in a new olive gray tee shirt (it did not escape my attention that it was rather tight) and blue jeans. I found myself wondering if he owned a lot of jeans.

"What time is it?"

"A little after 7, we need to get going. You were so tired from last night I didn't want to wake you up," he said, standing up and walking out of the bedroom. I heard him in the kitchen a few moments later.

I lay in bed a little longer then I threw off the sheets and stumbled blearily to the bathroom. I turned on the light and gave myself a long, searching look in the mirror. My hair was disheveled, I looked a little pale but I seemed rested. I was still a stranger to myself but it didn't seem to matter. After splashing some cold water on my face and brushing my teeth I blinked at the day. Eric was standing in the doorway to the bathroom watching me silently. I let out a yelp when I saw him there. I put a hand over my rapidly beating heart.

"Don't do that!"

"Do what, lover?"

"Scare the crap out of me."

"You look so beautiful when you're surprised," he said, handing me a banana.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"Pam tells me they are high in potassium -- and good for humans."

Who could argue with that? I took the offered fruit and peeled it.

"You need to get dressed." Eric said as he left the bathroom door and went back toward the kitchen. I followed after him eating my banana.

"Why can't I stay here?"

"Because there is no one I trust to leave you with." He said, while putting a blood in the microwave.

"What about Pam?"

"Pam's continued absence from Fangtasia would be noted and reported."

"To who?"

"To the king, to other vampires. Lots of creatures." He took the banana peel and kissed me on the forehead.

"Why can't I stay here, alone?" Suddenly losing my appetite and crossing my arms over my chest, feeling vulnerable I'd backed myself up against the kitchen counter. The microwave dinged, Eric gave the blood a good shake and stood before me. For every step back I took, Eric took a step forward, keeping our distance constant, it was very predatory.

"You cannot stay here because I stay here, and a vampire would not need an invitation to enter."

"How would they know I'm even here?"

"The risk is too great, that they would know," he said putting the True Blood down on the counter and resting his hands on either side of me, trapping me against the counter. "You are too helpless to leave alone. If you could not be glamoured, perhaps I could leave you here. You will come with me to Fangtasia and spend the evening with Pam. If you get too tired you can join me in my office." I nodded and Eric put a finger under my chin so I would have to look him in the eyes. "You will be fine." He sounded awfully confident, I wasn't so sure.

"Sookie, you must learn how to keep people out of your mind. The sooner the better. Fangtasia will give you practice."

I was stalling for time, hoping we could linger here long enough that going to the club wasn't an option. "You said the king would be here in a few days. What's going to happen?"

Eric's face clouded for a minute. His hands traveled up and down my arms, absently, as if he wasn't thinking of what he was doing.

"Won't they be able to tell something is wrong with me?"

"Felipe will be here tomorrow night. You do not know Felipe de Castro well; you have only met him once. You have only met his man, Victor Madden, twice. Both meetings were very brief. Say nothing to them, do as they ask and they will go away. You have nothing to fear from them."

I hoped this meant 'no.' Eric picked up his Blood again, clearly expecting this line of questioning was over. I took a deep breath. "Eric?" I asked timidly.

"Why can't I stay here?"'

He was silent.

"I don't mean right now, I mean forever. I could stay here. I don't need my old life. From what I've seen in Amelia's mind it wasn't all that good to begin with."

"Sookie you make me very happy. But you are not yourself you are a false version of you." I started to panic, what if I stayed like this and he didn't like this false version of me. He frowned, "What's wrong?"

I burst into tears, sobbing out, "What if I Amelia can't fix me?" I said between sobs.

"Then this will be the new you," he said taking me into his arms and letting me sob onto his shirt. My crying jag cost us a good 15 minutes. When I was all done I had to rush through my shower and getting dressed. I pulled on a new pair of jeans and a form-fitting, cranberry red tee-shirt with a scooped neck. Another half an hour ran by and we were on our way to Fangtasia.

I held Eric's hand as we drove through the darkness toward Fangtasia at frightening speeds in the red car I'd seen two nights before. Eric seemed content to remain silent sending me calm through the bond we shared. We reached the club in what seemed like record time.

As he pulled behind the building I asked, "Do you always drive that fast, or are we late."

Eric just let out one of his little laughs. "Always and yes."

I remembered Fangtasia from my first night, (as I'd come to think of it) but then it was closing. Now a long line snaked around the side of the building. Most people were dressed in black. The woman wore corsets and the men vinyl. They did not look comfortable, or at least I couldn't see how their getups could be comfortable. We drove past the front entrance toward the back of the building were we'd been two nights before. Eric parked the car and we sat in silence for a few moments. Already I could feel extra pressure on my brain from all the people.

I took a shuddering breath and closed my eyes, trying to build up the primitive shields Bill helped me with the night before. "I want you to stay with Pam and practice keeping them out. When you are tired, come to my office." He opened the door of his car and waited for me to follow after him.

I climbed out of his car (easier said than done the car was very low to the ground) and followed him through the employee's entrance of Fangtasia. Eric walked me to his office and sat me down on the red sofa I recognized from before. "Pam will be here in a moment to get you." He went over to his desk and started pouring through a stack of papers.

"What's all that?" I asked, dreading Pam's arrival.

"This." Eric said, stabbing at a random paper with a sharpened pencil, "is the work I'm behind on." He didn't say it but I understood the implication. Taking care of me was costing him time, there was a limit to what he could avoid; or Pam (his seeming second in all things) could handle without him.

After a few moments Pam stood in the doorway. "Sookie, there you are. You haven't fallen down a well today have you?" Eric raised his great, golden head up from his papers at his desk.

"Pamala," was the entire reprimand. Into it he was able to express, 'stop it, get to work, and back off she's had enough.' Pam assumed an innocent expression that belonged more on my face than it did hers, in particular once you took into account what she was wearing. Pam was dressed like the fangbangers I'd seen hanging around outside of Fangtasia. She was wearing a red satin corset, drawn in impossibly tight and a leather skirt with high, high heels. Pam wasn't a tall woman but she was almost my height in those heels.

"Pam," I said searching for something to say "you look -- um."

Pam gave me a level look. "I only wear this for work, don't get any ideas."

"Take her to the bar, Pam. Don't let her drink. Don't let anyone come up to her and never leave her alone. If she gets too tired bring her back here."

I stood up and walked slowly toward the door feeling my stomach clench in fear and anticipation. I had to do this, I knew Eric was right. It didn't make it any easier. Pam waited for me with a sly, grin on her face. "There, there my little telepath. I won't let the Fangbangers hurt you."

I hung my head a little. She wasn't making me feel any better.

Pam took me from Eric's office to the main room of Fangtasia. As soon as we walked in together: they hit me, all of them. It seemed like every thought was of me and how I wasn't worthy to have Eric. It was agony. The entire place pulsed like a living thing and I felt all of it. Pam saw me flinch and gave my arm a little squeeze. It brought me back to where I was and with a jerk of will power I pushed the bar out of my mind.

Pam guided me over to a booth in the corner of the room. It allowed us to see everyone and everything. Pam had me sit first and then she sat beside me. No one could come near me without first going through her. A waitress walked up with a bottle of blood for her and a gin and tonic for me. I started to shake my head but Pam took both the drinks and waved the waitress away.

"Don't drink it, Sookie. But try to look normal." Pam leaned in close to me to whisper in my ear. "The vampire over there," Pam motioned to a tiny woman with long black ringlets down her back and a strong profile. Her skin was paler than any other vampire's in the room. A ring of human men and woman surrounded her adoringly, "is Thalia. You know her. Do not talk to her; she is very dangerous and has a terrible temper."

"And that," Pam said nodding in the direction of the bartender, "is Felecia." Like every other vampire I'd met up to this point, Felecia was a lovely creature. She was very tall, just under six feet, and she was of some racial blend that had turned out awfully well. Her skin was a golden color, and her hair was thick and coarse and dark. "She is terrified of you because she thinks you have brought a curse to Fangtasia's bartenders."

"I have?"

Pam smiled brightly, "You have quite the track record with them. One died trying to kill you, the second one died in Eric's service and the last one died trying to kill you."

Pam didn't say much more for the next hour. I glanced at the clock on the wall, it was around 11 at night now and the bar was hopping.

"Do you need to take a break?" Pam asked.

I shook my head. "Not yet, soon though."

Men and woman would approach us from time to time. One man came and knelt at Pam's feet. I just stared at him and Pam laughed. "Go away, vermin." He reached out to touch her foot but she kicked his hand away.

"What are they thinking?" asked Pam.

"Nothing good, I'm sure." I very hesitatingly lowed my shields: _God she's so beautiful. Where is he? Something's not right with that girl, he said he'd come here an hour ago. Victor..._

That last thought came from a "cold" head. I couldn't be sure but it felt like a vampire. I looked around the room. Who was Victor? I thought back, the only Victor in my empty head was Victor Madden, emissary of the king and Sheriff of Area 1. The next hour I poured over every head I could in the room without going crazy.

I was so involved in trying to get into and out of minds, vampire and otherwise, I didn't even notice when we were approached by a smallish Asian man. He had coppery colored skin and long, shiny black hair. He wasn't all that tall but he was taller than me and Pam. I was struck by how handsome he was and, once I noticed he was there, openly stared at him. He looked right back at me, deep into my eyes. Pam kept such a wary eye on him I didn't think he was our friend. Now that I was focusing on him and trying to shut out the rest of Fangtasia a flood of exhaustion hit me. I needed to get out of there.

"Sookie," he said, "you look delicious."

I had to wonder if this was a running pun with vampires. They were immortal, or so I thought, you'd think jokes running along the lines of eating people would get old. When he slid into our booth without being ask I offered my hand to his. He only stared at it coldly. Okaaaaay.

"Jonathan, what brings you here?" Pam was all cool and proper.

"Oh. Madden sent me on ahead; you know how Eric and Victor are."

Pam helped me out, "Sookie you remember Jonathan. He's one of Madden's men."

"Oh yes, of course. Good to see you." I said with a bob of my head and nervously ran a hand through my hair.

Pam slid out of the booth and pulled me along with her. Once I was standing she whispered in my ear, "Go to Eric. Don't stop to talk to anyone."

I slid out of the booth and hurried toward Eric's office. As soon as I was out of the main room I felt my whole body relax a little. It was cooler; everything was quiet, a hundred minds weren't pressing down on my brain. I took a deep breath steadying myself and headed down the hallway; just as I rounded the corner to Eric's office I slammed into a vampire with big brown eyes and a neatly pressed business suit. Or at least that was my hysterical thought as I fell to the ground. As I was falling backwards I even noticed a snowy white handkerchief in his breast pocket. He wasn't all that tall, not that it mattered, I could tell from his brain signature he was a vampire so he didn't need size. I could have taken a running leap in his direction and he wouldn't have budged. His hand shot out at vampiric speed to catch me before I could fall to the ground. "Ah! Miss. Stackhouse, it is a pleasure to see you again," he said, sounding for all the world like the most pleasant vampire ever. "Still getting yourself into trouble I see."

I started to pull away from him once I found my feet. He let me go without a fight. "Uh," I stammered looking for something to say. He obviously knew me and I didn't know him, crap. Where was Pam? He seemed to be waiting for me to say something. I went with a neutral, "It's so good to see you again. How have you been?" I must have sounded as frightened as I was, because he gave me a cheerful smile and patted my arm.

"You know, Sookie I hope you'll come to look at me as a friend and ally! Also I hope you and Eric don't mind me dropping by early, I wanted to discuss the job the king has lined up for you." He sounded positively convivial then he took my arm and started toward Eric's office.

Before I could stop myself I said, "Oh, you're Victor." Oh, hell: _this_ was Victor Madden. "No...No," I wasn't sure if I was saying 'no' to him taking my arm or just trying to spit something out in words rather than grunts. I regained enough of my composure to give him a smile. "Looking forward to it. You didn't say how you have been."

"Well as you know, vampires don't really vary in health." He said as I nodded dumbly.

"Uh, yea." Eloquent, Sookie, eloquent.

He chatted amiably with me as we walked, slowly might I add (far slower than necessary) to Eric's office. "You know, Quinn has never given up on you. He petitions the king regularly to be allowed back in Eric's area. He claims you were not bound to Eric willingly."

Who the hell was Quinn? Another vampire, ex-boyfriend? "Does he really? Well you know Quinn." That probably sounded as lame as it was. It sounded lame to me and I only had two (and a half) days worth of memories.

He gave me a long, searching look. I thought I could hear the gears turning in his head. "Yes, I know Quinn. He took my job as Felipe's second once I came here to Louisiana. You were quite close I've been told."

I let out a mental sigh of relief. "Oh Yes. How is he?" I was desperate not to say too much. Any wrong word and it would be quite clear to this vampire I had no idea what or who he was talking about.

"Quinn, is just fine." He smiled, showing even rows of beautiful teeth. I wondered how many people had that view as their very last.

But we were at Eric's office, Victor knocked once and entered.

"Victor," Eric said. "You are early. What are you doing with Sookie?" He looked from me to Victor. I'm sure I looked completely lost and more than a little frightened; I was not holding up my end. Victor glided me over to the red sofa and sat me down before sitting himself down in the chair in front of Eric's desk. I could feel anxiousness roll off the bond and into me. Eric was not helping; I tried to quiet my mind but the background of fangbangers all hoping for crazy sex and Victor-freaking-Madden all made sure that was an impossibility. Oh hell, oh hell, oh hell, was the only thought in my brain. Eric glanced at me and seemed to compose himself. Whatever he was feeling he sent only calm and serenity toward me. Eventually I was able to sit back and wait.

"Oh, sorry about that old sport," said Victor amiably. "I wanted to discuss the job we have for Sookie in person. When I heard she was here at Fangtasia, I figured I could kill the proverbial two birds. We ran into each other on the way to your office." There was not a being on this earth who could have sounded more frank, truthful and cheerful. I did wonder how he knew I was here. I thought Eric had told me Victor Madden was sheriff of Area 1 (which he explained to me was in New Orleans, and it struck me that New Orleans was probably kinda far from where we were).

"How did you hear Sookie was at Fangtasia?"

"Miss Stackhouse is quite popular with our kind, as you know. She attracts attention wherever so goes. We were just discussing an old boyfriend of hers. Quinn. You know he is still quite fond of her."

Eric didn't seem to care for small talk, much less small talk that centered around my ex-boyfriends. But I knew. I didn't know how I knew but I knew Victor knew something was wrong with me. I couldn't stop the blood draining from my face even as Eric tried to send confidence my way.

I'm sure Victor could smell my fear. He turned in his chair and smiled at me saying "Is there something wrong, Sookie?"

I gave a panicked look to Eric. Should I answer Victor's question? Should I defer to Eric? Was there a hole somewhere I could crawl into and wait for this to be over? "Victor," Eric said with a wave of his hand "leave her alone she's up past her bedtime. Now about this job you have for her."

"Oh yes," Victor said, but he went on watching me for a little longer before turning back to Eric. "We have a bunch business people coming in to meet with the king and we want Sookie to be there and listen to them."

"Anyone to worry about?"

"Just bankers," Victor gave a toothy smile and a wave of his hand.

"We want to start taking some short positions in the market and we want to know what they really think about it."

Eric let out a thoughtful grunt. I didn't know what a short position was. Suddenly I was very tired. Victor and the hours of keeping out the bulk of Fangtasia had worn me down. My eyes started to close and before I knew it I'd fallen over and into a deep sleep.

When I woke up Victor was gone and Eric had draped his jacket over me. I curled against it willing myself to stay under it rather than wake up and face the inevitable. I could hear Eric talking to Pam; he wasn't very pleased. "Victor spoke to her, he knows something's wrong."

"Why should he or the king care so long as she can read the minds they need her to read."

Eric was silent a while, "Sookie, we know you're awake. We can hear you."

I cursed a little to myself and sat up. Eric and Pam were both watching me. "This isn't good, is it?" I asked.

"We don't know." Eric answered. "Victor and Felipe are trying to maneuver us somewhere; that I am sure of."

I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged them against me. "But how did he even know I was here."

Pam nodded. "I wonder that myself. He brought Jonathan so they could be sure of separating Sookie from me, leaving Victor time to interview her."

Eric was silent. "Pam, take her home. I have work to do here." They both stood up, and Pam waited for me at the door. I unfolded myself from my position of relative comfort on the sofa and walked unwillingly to the door.

Pam didn't say anything for the whole ride home. "I'm in a lot of trouble, aren't I?" I said as we pulled into Eric's driveway.

"No more than usual Sookie," I could hear her smile.

"What's going to happen?"

"Let Eric worry about it." There was no mocking from Pam this time. That scared me more than Victor popping up a day early.

But I couldn't let it go. I knew something terrible was on the way. Even after she told me to go to bed, I lay there staring up at the ceiling until the early morning hours. In midst of the dawn chorus, sleep finally claimed me.

* * *

_A/N:_

Again, I own nothing. This is based of the works of C. Harris.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 **

_Summary thus far (because I get confused when I read other fanfics): Sookie is out on the road with no memory of how she got there. Eric finds her and takes her to Fangtasia where he learns she can read vampire minds (whoops). After consulting with Pam and Bill (he leaves out the part about Sookie reading vamp minds) he takes Sookie home with him. She has a good night sleep. The next night we learn Amelia accidently erased Sookie's memory (hey it happens). Bill comes over to teach Sookie how to control her "gift." Eric returns from Fangtasia and discovers having what you've always wanted isn't what it's cracked up to be._

_The next night Eric takes Sookie with him to Fangtasia. Victor Madden, figures out something is amiss with Miss Stackhouse. _

_This Chapter: Madden takes Eric and Sookie to to Las Vegas._

_Next Chapter: Quinn!_

_

* * *

_

When I woke up the sun was streaming through the bedroom window. I hadn't slept well and I wanted to stay in bed for as long as possible. The house was quiet I snuggled into the covers taking a mental inventory. I was pretty sure Victor was on to us, I was sure this was a bad thing -- I didn't know why it was a bad thing, but it seemed to upset Eric. Why would the king care if I lacked a memory so long as I could do the job he needed me to do? I was sure the version of me with memories would have something to say about this.

I sought out any empty voids in my consciousness, counting two of them, I guessed Pam and Eric were somewhere close by. I tried to remember where I was born, if I had any family, where I lived or what my job had been. It all felt blank. I knew something should be there, I had been told I lived north of where we were, I worked in a bar (which seemed odd considering how valuable everyone kept on telling me I was). I had a relationship with Bill but when I sought out the memory there was nothing there. It wasn't like I had forgotten something and couldn't will it into my memory it was more like my mind was empty of all those things.

With that I rolled out of bed. Laying around looking for my memory wasn't going to get me anywhere. I headed to the bathroom, washed my face and brushed my teeth. I looked at myself in the mirror, ran a comb through my long blond hair and smiled at my reflection thinking _'it's going to be fine_.' I found the rest of me did not believe me when I thought this. I would have to work on being more persuasive -- to myself.

I was still sleeping in Eric's tee shirt, apparently when Pam packed for me she just grabbed whatever was clean and lying, that did not include pajamas. My wardrobe mostly consisted jeans, sweatshirts and some tee shirts. I wasn't sure what I'd wear to meet the king. Maybe he wasn't the fashion conscious type. I thought that unlikely -- the vampires I'd met all seemed to dress quite well.

I had to shake myself out of this train of thought. Obligingly my stomach rumbled and I headed to the kitchen. There was a note waiting for me on the door of the refrigerator, _Rest, lover. Our night will be a long one. ~E. _

Well that was illuminating. I sighed and fumbled around in the kitchen until I found something to eat. I had a headache but there didn't seem to be anything for human pain in the house, I made a mental note to ask Eric about it later. The clock in the kitchen read 2 in the afternoon -- I had nothing but time until the vampires rose.

Since this was the first time I had any a moment to myself since getting here. I took a few minutes to poke around. The family room just had a TV a sofa and a two leather lounge chairs. There was also a small library of books -- I'd have to check out the books later. The rest of the house was a hall bathroom and two additional bedrooms. It wasn't exactly lavish but I gathered Eric had a bunch of houses he rotated through. You needed less security if you were simply anonymous.

I went back to the family room. I didn't know how to turn on the TV so that was out (I tried pushing ON and got static, when I changed the channel I got loud static). That left me with the books. I looked through a few of the bindings. _Pride and Prejudice, The Works of John Donne, History of Byzantium, The Great War . . ._ And a bunch of things in languages I didn't recognize. Whatever my other skills were in my "normal" life, knowing a bunch of other languages wasn't one of them. I had to think about that. Eric, I gathered, was a powerful vampire, a figurehead in his community of vampires. He had lived for a thousand years -- what did he want or see in a barmaid from northern Louisiana?

Still mulling over the normal me's relationship with Eric Northman I picked up 'Pride and Prejudice', went to the bedroom to get a blanket and curled up on the sofa. I must have dozed, I woke up hours later with the book on my chest and Eric looming over me.

"Eric?" I said, sleepily.

He bent down to pick up the book I'd been reading, noting the title with some amusement, "Of course you'd pick this," he said with smile. "You should get dressed."

"But what's happening? Where's Pam?" I was sitting up now, wrapping the blanket around me. Eric sat down next to be and drew me close.

"Pam is off doing my bidding and we're to meet the king."

"At Fangtasia?"

Eric's cell phone rang. "Yes." He listened for a while, watching me the whole time. "Oh, yes, of course, right away." He hung up the phone looking grim. "The king has requested your presence_ Las Vegas_. We cannot refuse."

"Where's Las Vegas?" I asked. I knew it wasn't in the immediate area, or thought I knew.

Eric thought better of describing the location. "It's where the king lives."

"Why not Fangtasia? When do we leave?"

"Now. There's a car out front." When he didn't answer my question I began to have a very bad feeling. "It will be fine," he reassured me. "By our own law the king can not touch you."

"I'm not dressed," I said, balking.

"You have five minutes."

"What if he doesn't want to touch me, what if he just wants to keep me?"

"You have four minutes and thirty seconds. Wear something warm, it's cool in the desert."

I ran to the bedroom and threw on the last pair of clean jeans I had. It was still pretty cool outside -- the only warm thing I had was an LSU sweatshirt, this was not king meeting clothing as far as I was concerned. Great. I threw on a bra, tee shirt and the sweatshirt in rapid succession. Then I ran to the bathroom and checked my hair. I didn't have time for a shower but I looked decent enough.

Our driver took us to a private airstrip in Shreveport. The car ride was silent, I think Eric was afraid to say anything that would further give the game away. Victor was there, waiting. "Ah, Sookie, how nice to see you." And then to Eric, "Northman."

I was starting to get an urge to run away. It was just 8 at night, sunrise was hours away. We were leaving the state, going who knows where. With a vampire who seemed to know there was something wrong with me. Eric seemed very uncomfortable. My pulse was racing Victor, smiled at me. "First time you've flown, Sookie?"

I didn't answer, I didn't know the answer. I just swallowed and helped me up the stairs to the plane, Eric followed after us. I could barely think, and once I was on board I didn't feel any better. The space seemed to close in behind me, I could barely breath. "Something wrong?" Asked Victor.

"Yes, I don't like small spaces." I didn't know if that was exactly true or not, but it was true at the moment.

Eric took my hand from Victor's and guided me over to a plush, overstuffed leather seat. I didn't know what to expect from an airplane but this one seemed like the interior of a car. Almost every surface was either leather or wood. With his body blocking Victor's line of sight Eric said "you should take a nap Sookie," and I did. Next thing I knew the plane was on the ground, Eric was shaking me gently. Victor was already gone. "We're here." He said, trying to blot out my negative, panicked thoughts with his own encouraging ones.

I took his hand and headed toward the door. The first thing I noticed it was really cold. A wind blew up tossing my hair around. Each step I took down seemed to be leading me further and further away from home. Once we walked down the stairs I spotted a huge man standing next to a black suburban with dark tinted windows. He was as tall as Eric but stockier. Where Eric was pale like marble he was tan. His eyes were almost purple and his head was perfectly smooth (no really, it didn't seem to have a hair on him). He was wearing a dark suit with a starched white shirt and a dark tie. When we got a little closer I could see there was something in his ear. All in all he cut a pretty impressive figure out there on the runway. He seemed to know me, I caught that much in his thoughts, he was happy to see me and smiled. People don't tend to think their name when they meet you, I had no idea who he was.

"Quinn." Eric managed to grind out. He seemed highly displeased.

"I know you're not a a fan of our _tiger_ here, but he is our best bodyguard," said Victor lightly, "and the King is very focused on Miss Stackhouse's safety."

Oh crap, _this _was Quinn. But he wasn't a vampire. I must have looked pretty confused because Victor smiled at me saying, "Surely you remember Quinn, Sookie."

My mouth worked on a response for a while but nothing came. I looked at Eric helplessly hoping he'd say something. Victor waved us over to the suburban while 'the tiger' held the door open for me. "It's good to see you Sookie." He said warmly.

A driver in the front seat was wondering what all these vamps wanted with one human woman, I couldn't possibly be that good of a fuck. I winced and tried to shut him out, but I was so distracted. The four of us piled in. Quinn in the front seat, me in the middle of the back seat with Eric on one side and Victor on the other. I was shaking.

"Is something wrong, Sookie?" Asked Victor, his voice seemed to drip with concern. What was with this question? Did he expect me to confide in him, of course there was something wrong I'd been dragged out of my home, brought to a strange city and I was going to go meet up with a vampire king. My ex-boyfriend, who I didn't know, was sitting not three feet away from me and the vamp I'd apparently married at some point right by my side and I had no memory. _No I was not OK._

I didn't say anything so Eric spoke for me, "It's cold out here in the desert."

We drove on in silence for a while. "Have you ever been to Vegas, before?" Asked Victor.

I don't know, had I? "No." I said, looking down at nonexistent lint on my lap. I hoped it was true. I knew I couldn't keep up this charade. And I desperately wished I was home again with Eric.

"So, Babe." I flinched when Quinn spoke. I didn't want to talk to anyone. By now I'd realized my mistake from the night before. Quinn was no vampire and he certainly wasn't the king's second anything. Quinn was a bodyguard -- brawn not brain (maybe there was brain in there, I didn't know). Victor was brain, whoever replaced Victor had to be just like him. I knew from diving into Quinn's snarled mind he knew me, or we'd dated, or something -- it was confusing. I couldn't read his mind like other humans. I could tell he was there to aggravate Eric. He was pleased Eric had messed up. He hoped I'd leave Eric and go back to him. I gave Eric a long, regretful look. Though I suspected he knew that Victor knew -- maybe he and Victor spoke on the plane.

Quinn kept on talking while I mulled all that over in my head when I came back to the conversation I had no idea what he was saying. "I'm sorry," I said wearily, "I -- I missed all that."

"How have you been." I was sure he'd said more than that, but I guessed it was the capsule summary.

I didn't know what to do with that. Clearly I wasn't doing well. From listening to Amelia I knew I had been in a very bad place but I wasn't sure how much he knew. "Um, I'm getting better," I said noncommittally.

Eric broke in, "You don't need to talk to her." His voice was ice. I had no doubt he'd tear Quinn from limb to limb if he spoke to me again. Pure hate and anger passed through Quinn's mind, everything was directed at Eric. I pressed up closer to Eric wanting to shut my eyes against all of it.

Vegas was very bright. I could see how a vampire, who missed the day, would be attracted to the city. Everywhere people walked around in the garish glow of neon and halogen. It was a wonderland of sight and sound. As we passed each large building Victor told me what each one was. They were all casinos, he told me what they used to be "back in the day" and what they were now. Our car rolled up to a particularly lavish building. It had a huge fountain, bright lights and what seemed like a tropical wonderland out in front of it. We pulled up to the main entrance, the doors were huge, at least two stories tall. Each door was made of one large sheet of multi-colored glass.

Two valets were ready to greet us. I didn't know why they were there, we had a driver no one needed to take the car away and none of us had any luggage. As I stepped out I realized they weren't there for luggage or the car. They were there for us. I tried to read their minds -- but they were vampires. They were big and both had slight bulges on their hip where their suit jackets didn't sit quit right, they also had on sunglasses even though it was the middle of the night. It was very disconcerting. My urge to run was overwhelming. Eric grabbed my arm and gave a small shake of his head, he was willing me into calm by practically pouring serenity in my direction.

It didn't work.

The next few moments passed in a kind of dream sequence. We stepped out of the suburban, the two guards nodded at Victor. Victor nodded at them and then to Eric.

Victor said cheerily, "The king has some questions for you, old man," he said to Eric.

Eric kept his face carefully blank, a moment of apprehension passed through the bond but after that it went quiet. He turned to me and said, "say nothing, if you must speak say as little as possible." Eric left me without looking back, disappearing into the crowds with the other vampires.

I stood there dumbly for a few moments. "Babe, if you want I can give you a tour of the place." Said a low, rumbly voice. It took me a while to realize Quinn was speaking and that he was speaking to me.

"I'd rather you didn't." I realize we were still just standing around the entrance of the casino, people were passing us by, more than a few of them were taking a good look at me in my jeans, LSU sweatshirt, sneakers, vampire companion and huge ware. "Isn't there a room I can go to and wait."

"I'd like to catch up," tried Quinn again, taking a step toward me.

He was thinking of a time we'd shared together at my house, we were in bed. He wanted to get me there again. "Stop that!" I snapped and clapped my hand over my mouth, he wasn't speaking out loud.

"Sookie, we had Quinn here because we thought you'd be more comfortable with him. But if you prefer you can stay with me until Eric returns."

I didn't say anything. The cold air was starting to get to me. I felt my face get all hot, I wanted to ball up and cry.

"Quinn, you may leave," Victor said dismissively.

Quinn hesitated, he was thinking this was not part of the deal. I gave him a sharp look, what deal? I fished around his head a little but it was closed to me in a snarl of thoughts and emotions.

Victor didn't wait for Quinn's response, he took my arm, surprisingly gently, and piloted me inside. I had half a hysterical thought of running for it. Victor seemed to read my body language, his hand tightened only slightly on my arm and directed me toward the bank of elevators. "I lived here for many years before taking up my position as Sheriff of area 1 in Louisiana." He said amiably, as if he and his cronies had no just scooped me out of Louisiana and whisked me off to Las Vegas.

I nodded as if this was the most interesting thing in the world. "Really, how long was that for?" My pulse was racing, I knew I was breathing faster. I knew he'd notice all this. I noticed him looking at my neck. _Oh hell. Oh hell._

"Oh about 80 years." He was all smooth and calm. Like walking a telepath in an oversized LSU sweatshirt around his king's casino was the most normal thing in the world. We road the elevator up to the casino floor. As I stepped out onto the casino floor a tidal wave of thought and sound almost knocked me down.

"What's wrong?" asked Victor?

I shut my eyes pushing everyone else out of my mind. "Nothing," I stammered, "nothing." Victor gave me a look that told me he didn't believe me but he directed me forward. We were in a huge hallway. The ceiling was a good 100 feet above us and to my shock moving, then I realize it wasn't moving, it was like a gigantic TV screen. People were packed in all around us, pushing up against me. Sound was everywhere, music, people, thoughts. Somebody grabbed my ass and I took an involuntary step into Victor.

"What's up, sweet cheeks. Why are you with that dead thing?" Asked a very drunk (and stupid) guy wearing a dirty and oversized Arizona Diamondbacks tee shirt. He swayed a little on his feet and took an other step towards me. I knew his name was Theodor, I knew he wanted to fuck me and that he liked I wasn't really thin like the showgirls he saw today. I felt myself flinch from the rest of it.

"Just leave me alone!" It came out more like a screech. I was rapidly losing my cool. People were turning to watch us now. Hundreds of people were all focused in on us. I could feel their eyes, I could feel their minds all bear down on me. Victor stepped between me and Theodor before I could even register the movement.

"Leave." He said, menacingly.

Theodor looked between me and Victor. Victor could glamor him, or he could tear the guy limb from limb (unlikely, I thought, since we were in such a public place). "Oh yea, of course." Glamour it was. Theodor just tottered away, pulled along by the crowd.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't shut out anyone anymore. The shields I'd built up over the evening came crashing down. Every thought was there. I was vaguely aware that I was grabbing onto Victor's arm. I'd broken out into a cold sweat. I tried counting to myself, breathing in deeply, building my wall just like Bill had shown me. None of it worked. My mind was too far gone and I was in too much of a panic. I desperately wished Eric was there.

"What's wrong?" asked Victor?

"There's just too many people. I can't keep them out," I said though clenched teeth. Everything Bill had shown me flew out of my mind. There were too many people and I was too afraid.

Victor hesitated. "Come with me." I was gripping his arm tightly, hoping that his blank mind would help me focus. It did, but it wasn't enough. He quickly navigated us through the crowd and back to the bank of elevators. He took out a key card and stepped into one of the elevators off to the side. I thought there was someone guarding it but at the time I was too far gone to care. In moments we were away from the din of the casino floor. My brain receded back to its normal dull hum and I crumpled weakly against the wall of the elevator.

"Thank you."

Victor went on one knee in front of me. Sweat stuck my hair to my head and plastered it to my face. I kept on thinking I wasn't dressed to meet a king. He reached across me and pushed my hair off my forehead waiting for me to say something. I went with the thing I wanted most in the world, "Please let me go home."

"The king would be very upset with me if I did." We were at the top floor now. Victor helped me to my feet. "Only the king and his servitors are allowed up here."

"I'm not going to be a very useful telepath to you." I sounded glum.

Victor just laughed sounding profoundly jovial. "Telepaths are hard to come by you know. You will be useful enough."

And since you can not go to the mountain, l will bring the mountain to you."

"What do you mean?" I asked warily. We were on the top floor of the casino I guessed. A huge wall of windows greeted us as we walked into the room. The lights of Las Vegas replaced the stars they blotted out. The room was large, open, peaceful and nearly dark. It was cool and that was nice after all the people in the throng of the crowd. I could hear water running somewhere from an indoor fountain. Everywhere I looked there was glass and art. I tugged at my hair nervously, hoping he didn't mean what I thought he meant.

"The king will have to come here." Victor left me for a moment in the blessed silence of the room. I wondered if I should find a place to sit or make a run for it. Running seemed the wisest course of action. Clearly Victor knew there was something wrong with me, Eric was not with me and the king would soon be on his way. I had to get out of here and now. However angry Victor and the king would be with me would pale in comparison to the trouble I thought I'd be in if they knew I was a blank slate. I ran back to the elevators and hit the only button I saw.

Nothing happened.

Victor was back. I could 'feel' him rather than hear him. "He's on his way." He said, not commenting on the fact I was clearly trying to get the elevator to work. Victor might be the most polite vamp I knew I thought hysterically. I leaned my head against the metal door of the elevator. Eric was going to be so pissed.

"Word of advice Sookie, never run from anything immortal, it attracts our attention." Victor said, as he glided over to me and pulled me away from the door, "you know you need to key to work that thing on this floor." He flashed a little plastic card at me.

"Very smart of you." I refused to actually look at him, I could feel tears welling in my eyes and I knew if I moved my head at all they would spill out all over my face. Very slowly he got me over to the sitting area of the room and had be sit on a big leather sofa that went off in an L shape right in front of the wall of windows.

"Well, Sookie. Will you tell me what's wrong with you?"

I blinked and rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. "There's nothing wrong with me. I'm tired and I've been sick. But I'm fine!"

Victor gave me an even more doubtful look than he'd given me before. "Sookie, vampires are -- or at least vampires who have made it past their first decade or so, are very good at knowing what their prey is thinking. You're terrified, you seem to have no control over your gift and frankly you don't seem to remember anything. I don't know you well but I know this. It is obvious to me there is something very wrong with you. You can tell me, or you can wait until the king gets here; but you will tell us." It wasn't a threat, or at least I didn't think so. He seemed very matter of fact like he was explaining the nights are cold here in the desert. I hated that vampires seemed to have such control over their emotions, I could feel the blood drain out of my face and the room spin.

"Did Eric do something to you?"

"No!" I wanted to get the conversation off me and on to something safer. "Why are you even here."

"And not in Area One?" I nodded. He leaned forward his elbows on his knees, hands threaded together. "Once I reported to the king there was something wrong with you he ordered me to bring you here. Eric would never have allowed that, of course. So we had him escort you here. I came to make sure he followed through on those orders. I will return to my area tonight or tomorrow."

He sat back a little. I said nothing.

"Let me tell you what I know. I know you don't remember Quinn, as I don't think you're the sort of woman to have many casual lovers -- I suspect your memory loss is deeper than that. I know you needed to be told who Jonathan was, you didn't know Thalia, or Fangtasia's barkeeper. I know you haven't been back to your house for three nights, and you haven't been to work in that same time period. I strongly suspect Eric glamoured you on the way here." He probably knew what size I was too but we were interrupted by the arrival of the elevator.

I heard the elevator ding and I wanted to vomit. There was no where to run. I didn't know where I was, I didn't know the layout of the room and I didn't have the freaking key to get off the floor. Victor stood and pulled me to my feet with him. "Bow when he comes into the room. Sookie, you are very valuable to him, he will not hurt you." I took a step back away from Victor so that his body was in between me and anything that came off that elevator.

While I was looking around wildly for an escape route a gorgeous man stepped into the room. He carried himself with such an air of importance and bearing it was hard to look away. He was taller than Victor his dark thick hair clipped close to his head, and he had a mustache and chin strip. He had caramel skin, dark eyes, strong arched eyebrows and a bold nose. Victor bowed deeply, I stood there dumbly, too scared to do anything other than stare. _This_ was Felipe de Castro. My heart fell somewhere around my feet. Like Victor, he was one snappy dresser. He was wearing a dark gray suit, well tailored and neatly pressed. One of Castro's ears was pierced, a gold earring dangled brightly in the light.

_"Meees Stekhuss." _He said in a heavily accented voice, suddenly, he was in front of me. "My associate tells me you are not feeling well," he said. I was going to faint. I knew I was going to faint. My heart actually felt like it was trying to leave my chest, I was sure the vampires with their better sense of hearing could hear it. Victor said something to the king I didn't catch. I had to say something but Victor got in before I did. "She nearly collapsed out onto the casino floor."

Felipe gave me a look waiting for me to confirm Victor's story. It was now or never. "I had an accident, earlier this month, it's been hard to control my telepathy ever since." I liked this lie, it was close to the truth and vampires seemed secretive, maybe they didn't know what had happened to me. I couldn't tell them what happened to me because I didn't know.

"Find Eric," said Felipe, never taking his eyes off me. Victor bowed again and disappeared silently.

While I searched for my confidence the king took my arm and sat us down on a sofa looking out over the lights of Las Vegas. It was leather, sleek and looked expensive to my untrained eye.

"It would seem, Miss Stackhouse, you have a knack for finding trouble. Now tell me, why are you unwell. This time tell the truth."

"You should just call me Sookie." I said weakly. In all honesty I didn't know who Miss Stackhouse was. My mouth went dry, I tried to breath but I felt like I couldn't get any air. I wasn't supposed to talk to anyone other than Eric. I knew that, but I wanted to tell Felipe. This whole mess left me feeling exhausted and raw. I could feel a pressure behind my eyes, he was trying to glamour me, I realized. My initial anger at him for the attempt pushed him the rest of the way out of my mind. "Please don't make me tell you," I said far more pathetically than I wanted to. I couldn't tell him that my memory only went to the last three days, I couldn't or shouldn't tell him I could be glamoured, I couldn't tell him I was unable to shut out the cacophony of voices in my head from the casino floor. He reached over to me and brought my chin up so I would be forced to look in his eyes, I swallowed hard knowing what he was about to do.

"Miss Stackhouse, tell me what has happened."

I vomited up the whole story, from being found on the road by Eric, to learning how to build shields from Bill, to being told to come here and being so afraid I wanted to run and hide. When I was done I was sobbing so hard I could barely breath and I doubted he could understand much of what I said. Felipe waited quietly for me to finish after a moment he got up, disappeared and came back with a warm washcloth. I found the idea of a vampire king waiting on an amnesiac telepath very funny but it just made me cry harder. To Felipe's credit he waited for me to finish before saying anything.

"Miss Stackhouse, you should know that I knew everything." He leaned his face in closer to get a better look at me. It struck me that he was very beautiful. I wasn't sure what "everything" was so I didn't say anything. I just looked down at my hands, wringing the washcloth in my hands. "You did not betray your Sheriff. I know what happened to you in January, I know Eric failed to protect you and I know he claims to have pledge to you with the knife. You may not remember it but you saved my life -- and I have given you my protection. I tell you this so that you will know not to fear me."

"What about Eric?" I'd gotten to the shuddering, shaky stage of crying.

"Eric has every reason to fear me," he said angrily.

I would have burst into tears again but I felt a wave such profound calm I new Eric was near. The elevator dinged, I turned my eyes to the hallway. Eric strode into the room, flanked by Victor and Quinn. I looked down at the floor avoiding Eric's eyes. I'd failed him, failed us, badly.

"Eric," the king said acerbically, "would you care to explain what has happened to this woman?"

There was nothing for denying it now. I looked up from my feet long enough to try to express how sorry I was. Eric was silent a moment calculating his next move, everyone looked at him waiting for an explanation. He bowed deeply to the king and said "a witch erased her memory." His voice was perfectly flat, he gave away nothing.

Though some unspoken agreement everyone seemed to know it was silly to shout across the room at each other. Eric, Quinn and Victor all crossed the room and stood before their king. Now it was the king's turn to speak. "Since this woman has been under my protection you have allowed her to be abducted, tortured and now this. You are an excellent sheriff, but you have failed me in this task. You will allow her care to fall to me."

"That woman is mine. We pledged with the knife. By our laws no one may touch her without my permission." Eric seethed. My mind was in overload but I knew Quinn felt pleased -- and something else. I frowned at him, he was happy to see me stuck here with the king?

Felipe cut off Eric with a wave of his hand, "Northman, I acknowledge your bond and pledge to this woman. No vampire may touch her without your consent. But she _will _stay here under _**my**_ protection. She will be kept safe from harm. _If_ her memory returns she may make the decision to stay here or return to her home."

"She is mine," he said, in definite tones.

"Miss Stackhouse will remain with me while she recovers. Then, _perhaps_ other arrangements can me made. If you insist you may remain here with her and give up your position as Sheriff. I am sure I can find a place for you in my court."

On some very basic level I understood what was going on. Felipe wanted me here. He did not want to have to kill Eric to have me and this memory thing had given him the perfect excuse. I had to hand it to Felipe, he'd given Eric what he claimed to want by allowing him to retain nominal control over me (if Eric agreed and remained with me). If Eric picked this option Felipe succeeded in forcing a potentially powerful rival from a position of authority without having to kill him. If Eric took the other option and insisted on staying with me then Felipe had succeeded in getting this same rival under his thumb. Additionally he'd acquired his own personal telepath, all while looking like a pretty good guy. I had no doubt he was going to make sure I never got my memory back.

Being played somehow hurt less when the person doing it was 1) really attractive and 2) very good at it. I felt you had to sit back a little and just marvel. Eric was willing me into silence through the bond. I bit my lip wishing myself far, far away.

There was a short pause while Eric thought this over. "You are correct, my king. You are better equipped to care for Sookie than I am. If you will assure me that she will remain with _you_, I leave her in your care."

The king sounded downright frosty when he replied. "I'm hardly going to pass her around to other monarchs, Northman."

"Is that a yes, sire?"

"You have my word."

"You will not force her to drink blood? Either through coercion or glamour?"

"The only blood she will consume will be your blood."

There was another, shorter pause. Eric bowed again, more deeply than before. "Then I agree to your terms. If I leave now Victor and I can get back to our Areas before dawn."

I started to open my mouth to protest. Eric was not leaving me here, this was not part of the deal as far as I was concerned. But the look on Eric's face told me to stay silent. since he was the only vampire here who's opinion I could trust when it came to vampire matters I thought it wise to follow his lead. Victor said nothing. He watched me for a long moment and then turned to leave the room.

"With your leave, your majesty, I would speak to her before I go," Eric said, all calm and cool. My world was still spinning. This couldn't be happening, he wasn't going to leave me here, was he?

The king, flush with success of his new acquisition, didn't hesitate. "Of course, sheriff. She is yours."

Eric took my hand and led me out toward the elevators. Victor saw us coming and moved a little to the side to give us the illusion of privacy.

"Please don't leave me here," I pleaded, tears gathered (again) in the corners of my eyes. Eric lifted his hand to my face and wiped my tears away with his thumb.

"Sookie, I need you to trust me. Do as the king bids, be useful, learn to control your telepathy. I would not leave you here if I thought it unsafe."

There was more he wanted to say, I could feel it. I wished I could read his mind when I wanted to and not just random flashes. Everything about being a telepath was inconvenient. "Please Eric," I begged, "don't leave me here."

Eric closed down his face, he looked down at me. "Sookie. I cannot fight to take you out of here. That would mean my death, and it would leave you here forever." I understood what he ways saying, it didn't make the idea of saying here with the king any more palatable. With Victor waiting, Eric kissed me once on the top of my head and turned to leave on the elevator. If he looked back I couldn't see. I looked only at the floor and sobbed.

* * *

A/Ns:

Again, I own nothing. This is based of the works of C. Harris.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_Summary thus far: Sookie is out on the road with no memory of how she got there. Eric finds her and takes her to Fangtasia. After consulting with Pam and Bill he takes Sookie home with him. She has a good night sleep. The next night we learn Amelia accidently erased Sookie's memory (hey it happens). Bill comes over to teach Sookie how to control her "gift." Eric returns from Fangtasia and discovers having what you've always wanted isn't what it's cracked up to be._

_The next night Eric takes Sookie with him to Fangtasia. Victor Madden, figures out something is amiss with Miss Stackhouse. Madden tells Eric and Sookie to report to Las Vegas, and Eric suspects a spy. Eric and Sookie go to Vegas. Where the king finds out there is something very wrong with Sookie. He insists she stay with him in Las Vegas._

_This Chapter: Quinn makes a play for Sookie._

_Next Chapter: The Viking has a plan. You get to see how ruthless both Felipe and Eric are._

* * *

I cried for a long time.

Eric was gone.

I stood by the elevators dumbly not wanting to go back into the room with the king or Quinn. Actually, I was less inclinded to go back in the room with Quinn, (who seemed to be enjoying some part of this) than I minded being in the same room with the king. So I stayed out by the elevators not wanting anyone to see me cry. Eventually Quinn came and found me. "Felipe has dismissed us for the evening; I'm supposed to take you to your room."

I was not going anywhere with this man. "I'm not going anywhere with you." I was still sniveling. My breaths came unevenly; I hiccupped and wiped my tears away.

"You're welcome to stay up here with the king. But I think it's feeding time," he said coldly.

I ran my fingers through my hair. I kept on thinking this wasn't happening, this wasn't happening. But no, it was. I tried to bring my mind back to the right time and place. Quinn took out his key card and pressed the button for the elevator. When it arrived we both stepped in. I kept looking at my sneakers with the absent thought: I had not dressed well for the occasion of meeting a king.

"Sookie, what happened to you?" I hadn't been able to get my shields back up, I knew Quinn was angry. He was angry at Eric for letting this happen, and he was angry at me for something.

"What did I do to you? Why are you mad at me?" I asked. The elevator only went down one floor and came to a stop. Before the door would open Quinn had to use his key card.

He didn't answer me, instead he explained, "You're in the most secure part of the casino. Only the king and his guests are allowed on these floors. You need a keycard to get here." The door opened and Quinn motioned for me to step out first.

"I want to go home, Quinn," I said, not stepping out.

"Babe, don't make me force you to get off this elevator."

"I thought you cared about me." I wanted to know how what he said would match up with what I knew he felt.

"I do care about you Sookie." The elevator buzzed angrily when we didn't get off. "I'm here to protect you, even if that means protecting you from yourself."

In a fight to drag me off the elevator I'd clearly lose. Quinn was at least twice my size. "Fine," I said and stepped out of the elevator, waiting to be told what direction to go.

"This way," said Quinn, as he put his arm around my shoulders and ushered me down the hallway.

The first thing I noticed about the room he took me to was that there was a keypad on the door. Quinn punched in a series of numbers and the door unlocked. The second thing I noticed was the door opened outward. The third thing I noticed was once we were inside there was no lock on the door. I let out a weary sigh. "Not exactly _my_ room, is it."

The room was a luxurious prison. Every touchable fabric was soft, every surface gleamed. A row of glasses twinkled over by the bar and kitchen area. The room was huge too and had a view of the glimmering lights of the city. You could throw a party in here with 20 people and it wouldn't feel crowded. The whole thing opened up onto a gracious patio. It felt like half the room was taken up with glass.

"So this is mine?" I sat down on the sofa

"For now." Quinn sat down cautiously next to me. "Will you tell me what happened? How did you end up like this?"

I shrugged. "A witch erased my memories." So far I'd left out that Amelia was the guilty party thinking that wouldn't be good for her health. It struck me that I didn't tell the king despite his glamour. I tucked that thought away for further consideration.

"That's what Eric told you?" He voice was low, he tried to sound gentle.

_No, that's what Amelia told me._ But I didn't see the need to correct him. "That's what I've been told." I rubbed the bridge of my nose I was starting to come out of shock from the evening. I took a deep breath reminding myself that Quinn did actually care about me and I was angry at him (mostly) because he seemed to work for the man who took me away from Eric.

"Babe -- Eric has wanted you for as long as I've known you. How do you know he didn't do this to you?"

"Eric wouldn't do that," I said.

"How do you know? What do you even know about him?" Asked Quinn.

"I know he took me off a dark road and tried to protect me from your king, who is keeping me here, against my will."

"Sookie, how do you know what Eric told you was true? For all you know he had a witch erase your memory and glamoured you into believing he loves you.

"How do you know I can be glamoured?"

"I was with Eric when Victor came for him. Victor asked. Eric must have figure out you were with the king at that point and didn't see the point in lying."

I didn't say anything. I stared at my hands. Quinn was leaving something out.

"What are you not telling me?" I narrowed my eyes at him, I was so tired of being fought over.

Quinn looked at me blankly.

"Telepath, remember?"

"Yea, I remember."

"Eric wanted to know if I'd help him."

I knew what he was going to say. "You said no."

"Babe," Quinn began, "did he tell you about us?"

"No." Actually, Eric had avoided scaring the crap out of me by dumping the entire world on me all at once. I glared angrily at Quinn.

"Did he tell you he took you away from me by forming a blood bond with you?" That explained my close tie with Eric. I didn't know if this was an entirely fair line of questioning since 1) Eric wasn't here to defend himself, and 2) I had no way of commenting.

"I don't know what a blood bond is, Quinn."

"Did he tell you that you didn't take his blood willingly Sookie? I was there, I remember. You cried that day; you hate the bond."

"All I know Quinn, is that I feel safe around him and I don't feel safe now. I know he didn't try to take advantage of my memory loss -- _he_ didn't try and turn me against anyone because I didn't know them. He was fair."

Quinn got up off the sofa. "What is with you and these things? You defend them even when they lock you up in a damn tower. They're evil Sookie. They use your talents against you and you still defend them!"

I wanted to cry (again). I stood up feeling anger rush into me and feeling confident enough to yell right back. "I may not know my name, where I was born or … or anything" Crap I was losing the thread. "But I **do **know, you're not being fair."

"Fair? Fair? Eric fucking Northman just _left_ you to the mercies of his king. A man who, just months ago, wiped out most of the vampires in Louisiana and you're OK with _him_ but me, the guy who loved you, who wanted to keep you away from these things you give me a hard time."

Now I wasn't shouting I was screaming at him. "If they're so terrible, _Quinn_, why are you here?"

"I don't have a choice," he said it like I should know why.

"Yes you do. You could let me out of here, you could leave. For the record, a vampire didn't bring me to this room, Quinn. That was you." This conversation had rapidly spun out of control. I could taste his anger it was so strong, his murderous thoughts almost knocked me down. I crossed the room to put a little distance between us and stood next to the bar.

"You're blaming _me_ for this? Right before the fucking fairies got you I told you he'd never dump his little area for you. He left you to die with the fairies, just look at yourself, look at your scars, and ask yourself where your blood bonded vampire was that night. He left you that night just like he left you here with Felipe."

"Get OUT!" I screamed raggedly throwing the first thing I could lay my hand on at him. That thing turned out to be glasses left out on the bar and this being the king's personal area of the casino they seemed real expensive and heavy. Certainly when they smashed into a million pieces on the wall next to Quinn they made a very satisfying sound. "I don't know who you are Quinn, I don't know your full name, why everyone calls you tiger, or why I can't read you like other people, but I do know I couldn't ever love someone who takes such delight in seeing me in misery." Honestly I would have thrown the other glass at him but he held up his hands in surrender.

Quinn swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment, forcing back his anger. I felt it recede and actually relaxed a little myself. "Sookie, I'm _sorry_. I'm sorry about all of it. I'm sorry Bill came into your life, I'm sorry you had to go through the explosion at Rhodes, I'm sorry about the fairies, all of it." He was advancing on my slowly as if he could creep up on me if he made no sudden moves. If I was going to brain him with a lead crystal tumbler now was the time. He took the tumbler out of my hand and placed it back on the bar. He was towering over me and I refused to look up at him. "Most of all, I'm sorry you were wrong about Eric."

I wasn't sure if this was supposed to be a pep talk of some kind. If it was, he wasn't doing a very good job. Crap, I was going to cry again. I willed my tears away and said in the coldest, calmest voice I could muster (at that moment), "Let's get two things straight," I said raising my chin and looking him square in the eye, "one: I am not a 'babe,' I have a name, _use it_. Two: I have asked you to leave. You can do it now or the king's guards can carry you out. I know which one I'd prefer."

Quinn just laughed. It was a low rumbling sound. "He doesn't deserve your loyalty Sookie, but I'll leave." Quinn left the room with a slow, understated, speed taking care to step over the glass as he did. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I sank down against the island bar. For once I didn't feel like crying. I leaned my head back and tried to think as the rest of my anger ran out of me. I only understood half of what Quinn had said and most of the half I did understand, didn't make any sense. Worse still, what if Quinn was telling the truth and I'd badly misjudged Eric? I sat there for a while thinking and finally made a decision: at the moment I was in no position to make judgments. Eric had been kind to me, Quinn had tried to tell me what a horrible person Eric was and Felipe had played me into staying here. Whatever I might not know about Eric, he seemed like the lesser of three evils.

I got up off the floor and looked at the mess I'd made. Glass was everywhere. Crap. I opened the door to the hallway two huge men stood there, one with brown hair, the other with black, and both were looking back at me, double crap. "Um," I grunted out. "I dropped a glass, is there a way I could clean this up?"

The two men exchanged looks. I reached out my mind hoping to catch the security code on my door but they were blanks to me: vampires. The brown-haired one smiled, clearly amused, "You dropped a glass?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "OK, I threw it at that guy's head. Would you like me to demonstrate?" The second vampire laughed now.

"No. We'll have someone sent up to clean it." I opened the door the rest of the way dropping my primitive shields completely. I couldn't feel anyone on the floor just a few empty voids.

"I don't think that's necessary, I'm sure I can do it myself."

"You're the king's guest," said the one with long brown hair. I took a better look at him now. He was very tall, had long brown hair and a beard, mossy green eyes and a strong nose, he looked -- like a pirate, like a magical pirate. Looking at him was like seeing some wild woodland creature -- I expected him to bow or something. They were both very large and looked as though they could have taken on Quinn in a fight and had a hope of winning.

I glared at him. "That's one way to put it."

He smiled. "Is there anything else?"

"No. That's quite enough."

"Wait."

I waited.

"You actually threw a glass at John Quinn's head?"

"Yes. He deserved it _**and**_ the one I didn't throw." I let the door slam behind me and looked around the room. On the upside, I knew Quinn's full name, I was getting somewhere I told myself.

I went off to explore the rest of "my" residence. There was a large bedroom with a bathroom attached to it and what looked like a study. The bedroom had a king-sized bed. The bathroom was ridiculous. The _shower_ was the size of Eric's bathroom at home. It had 8 jets and the whole thing was done with iridescent tile, the bathtub was made out of hammered copper and the sinks were carved out of a single piece of stone, ridiculous. The study was full of books, a TV and a big leather couch.

I heard a knock and went over to the door, opened it (outward) and found a tiny woman with a wizened, wrinkled face. She came complete with a vacuum a broom. "Miss" she said timidly. I sighed and waved her in, feeling guilty for getting her up here at this time of night to pick up after me.

"I'm sorry," I started. She just waved her hand at me.

The brown-haired pirate broke in, "she doesn't speak much English." He turned to the tiny woman and told her what to do (I assumed) in some language I didn't know. She nodded and went about cleaning. Out of curiosity I tried reading her mind. Some people, I'd found, like Amelia think clearly in words and complete sentences. This woman thought in pictures and her native language. I knew she didn't much like the vampires but they were good to work for and paid well.

I dithered about unsure what to do. The vampire watched me with open curiosity. "Could you show me how to turn the TV on?" I asked.

He gave me a quizzical look.

"It's a long story." I found myself saying; lamely, might I add.

"Sure." The vacuum whirled behind us as we went into the study. The room was quiet and masculine, mostly browns and leathers and of course had a big TV which was huge and impossibly thin. "I'm Ivan," he said as he picked up the changer.

"Sookie," I offered, a little belatedly.

"Oh, we know who you are. It's pretty straight forward. Here's the on button," he pointed to a big red button that read 'on', "and here's the input." I nodded to show my understanding. "Anything in particular you want to watch?"

"I don't know," I said honestly. "I just don't have anywhere to go, and I don't feel like sleeping."

Same quizzical look. "You don't know?"

I found myself running my hand though my hair nervously. "Like I said, long story."

He changed tactics on me. "Why'd you throw a glass at Quinn?"

I found myself settling down onto the leather sofa. "Also a long story."

My new friend laughed. "Do you have any short stories?"

"Just my life story," I said a little more morosely than I intended.

The vacuum shut off and the lady called out to Ivan. He replied cheerily and left the study for a moment. I heard the door shut. I closed my eyes for a moment trying to gauge the strange situation when Ivan popped his head back in. "Manuela says not to worry about the broken glass; she gets paid time and a half to work at night."

I didn't really want to be alone at the moment so I replied. "What language were you speaking?"

"Spanish, more particularly, a variant from Veracruz." Like that was the most obvious thing in the world.

For a moment I felt a little overwhelmed by what I didn't know. "Is Felipe OK with you being in here?"

Ivan shrugged. "We were told to guard you, and to be nice to you." After a pause, "In that order." Ivan settled almost warily on the other end of the sofa.

"And you weren't worried when you heard me screaming at Quinn?"

"He's a were and therefore not the brightest creature in the universe, but we didn't think he'd touch you. And once you started throwing things -- we hoped you'd get a few good shots in."

It took me a moment to process all of that. "You don't like him?"

"He's kinda a smug ass." Ivan said, now relaxing on the sofa by leaning back and stretching his legs out in front of him. "He's powerful and famous around here, but he's a jerk to most vampires."

"Yea, he doesn't seem too fond of you … What's a were?" I asked.

Ivan looked at me to see if I was joking. I decided to come clean, it would speed things up. "OK," I said, holding my hands open in front of me and waving them a little for emphasis. "A witch wiped out my memory a few nights ago, and apparently I'm under the king's protection so he had me taken away from Eric since he'd failed to protect me from getting my mind wiped. Also I think I got into a fight with some fairies and lost. But I don't know anything. Not how to turn on a TV or if we've met before."

Ivan was shocked into silence.

"Oh and I think I dated Quinn at some point."

"Eric, being Eric Northman?"

I nodded. "The same," I said glumly. I didn't think Eric ever told me his last name but I'd heard Victor refer to him as, _Northman. _

Ivan stroked his beard thoughtfully. "And you don't remember anything."

"Not a damn thing."

"Wait here." Ivan got up and went to the door. He and the other vamp seemed to be having a long conversation so I kicked off my sneakers and turned on the TV. After about ten minutes had passed both my guards came into the room.

"Sookie, this is Christopher. We wanted to let you know how things would run around here."

That seemed mighty nice of them, all things considered. I noticed Ivan had some kind of faint accent; I wondered if Felipe had clung to his accent or only moved to wherever Nevada was recently. I noticed I had a very strong accent.

"Um. That's very nice of you, Ivan." I stood up, "We can go to the other room so we can all sit down."

"One of us needs to be at the door at all times, but I wanted to introduce you to Chris." Chris gave a stoic nod and left the room.

Ivan took a seat again and I followed his lead.

"Why are you so chatty?"

"It's my gift," he said.

"I don't understand."

"Of course you don't. Every vampire gets a gift when they're turned."

"Like a ..." I searched for something in the back of my head.

"No, not like Christmas or your birthday." That seemed vaguely right. "Some of us can fly, some of us have mental powers, and some of us are really good at glamouring. I can seem very human when I want to. Most vampires lose that as they age."

"Huh." I wondered if I'd ever been a very eloquent person.

"So...What do you want to know?"

"About?"

"Anything. Vampires...what we'll do for you here?" he prompted.

"Um. Am I free to leave?"

"No. One of us will always be with you in the night and several Weres during the day."

"What's a Were?"

Ivan laughed, clearly delighting in this. I was glad at least someone got to enjoy the evening. "A were is a human that can turn into an animal. Quinn, can turn into a tiger, a very large cat," Ivan said helpfully. "Oh and there's a big to-do in that community over were-animals in general and _Werewolves_ in particular."

"And the people guarding me in the day?"

"Werewolves. Unless it's a full moon, then humans."

"Full moon?"

"Some weres can change whenever they want to, but when the moon is full some have to change. It gets confusing, it's easier to just give them that time off and hire humans."

I tried to take all this information in. When I didn't say anything, Ivan took it as his cue to ask questions.

"You got into a fight with fairies?"

I shook my head. "Honestly, I don't know. Quinn said something about the fairies getting me."

"Do you know you're really famous among vampires?"

"No...the king said something about it." I played nervously with the ends of my hair. "Do you know why?"

"Oh yea, you saved hundreds of us less than a year ago at Rhodes."

I looked at him blankly. I'd heard Quinn say something about Rhodes. "What happened?"

"Well some terrorists blew the place up, but you stayed and helped find the wounded: humans and vampires."

I didn't know what to say to that. "Did they tell you how long you'd be guarding me?"

Ivan shrugged. "As long as we need to."

All the normalcy of the conversation drained out of me at that moment.

"Sookie, you're free to leave your room if you want. You're free to go anywhere in the state, really. You just have to take one of us with you."

"That's not really freedom. Or at least I don't think of it that way."

Ivan nodded, "Fair enough. But really, you're helpless like this. You don't even know who your friends are."

"And you're supposed to be my friend," I said bitterly.

He ignored my tone and answered my question, "No, we've just met."

I pulled my knees to my chest and turned on the TV. I must have been more tired than I thought because I feel asleep right there on the sofa.

The next morning I woke up on the sofa finding I'd curled into a fetal position. The TV was still on. The news had something about members of a group known as The Fellowship of the Sun on trial for burning down a house. I turned off the TV and looked around. My mouth was dry, I was starving. The reality of my situation came crashing down on me. I was here, alone in Las Vegas in a hotel I didn't even know the name of -- the guest-prisoner of a vampire king and I my memories only went back as far as the last 4 days. Whatever I knew about my life I guessed this wasn't a high point for me. Oh and I'd alienated the only person who might have been interested in helping me the night before by throwing a glass at his head. And made kinda friends with a chatty vampire named: Ivan.

I thought about Ivan for a minute. He seemed, nice. Nicer than I'd expect. I thought about Felipe's reasons for assigning that particular vampire to watch over me. If I escaped Ivan would be punished. He wanted me to like my guards. _Bastard_.

I rolled over on my back and stared up at the ceiling. It was a tray ceiling with recessed lights. Last night Eric left me here, I threw a glass at Quinn and I made friends with a chatty vampire. Yep. That was about as good of a summary as I was willing to come up with at the moment and got up off the sofa.

When I walked into the main room the sun streamed brightly though the large wall of windows. I blinked in the light for a while shocked to find a whole wardrobe of clothes laid out for me throughout the room, breakfast on a tray, oh _and_ a note:

_Dear Miss Stackhouse,_

_It escaped my attention last night but I realized you arrived here without any luggage. I took the liberty of having clothing delivered to your room, please pick out what you like. You must be hungry after your long trip, so I have made arrangements to have breakfast delivered to your room. I must ask you to join me for a business affair tonight at 9, but you are free to do as you please until then. ~de Castro _

I sat down at what served as the kitchen table (really it was just a table next to the kitchen and bar area) and poured myself a cup of steaming hot coffee. Felipe was really bold. He'd brought me here, taken me away from Eric and then wrote me a note ignoring all that giving me a bunch of clothes in the process. I crammed a pastry into my mouth, it was delicious. The coffee was steaming hot so it couldn't have been made more than an hour ago. I wondered, if Felipe had his staff deliver a new breakfast every hour so the coffee would be hot and the pastries fresh when I finally got around to waking up.

There was a knock at my door. The vamps had knocked last night too, I found it hilarious. The door didn't even lock from my side. "Come in," I said, sipping my coffee.

Quinn's enormous frame took up most of the door. I shot him a venomous look and he had the good grace to look ashamed. Behind him I could see two other large men; I tested their brains -- weres like Quinn. At least now I knew why his brain was so different. The coffee was really wonderful, I felt human. The world was looking up; I would find a way out of this. I would shower too, I thought when I ran my hand through my hair, it was getting icky.

"Quinn."

"Sookie," he said, looking unsure of himself.

I ate another pastry. I was starving. "Not to be rude Quinn but what do you want?"

"I came to apologize."

I'd figured as much. Quinn looked around at all the clothing.

"None of this is my doing." I said. I nodded over at the coffee and pastries. "Hungry?"

Quinn looked troubled. Finally he moved his huge body through the piles of boxes and clothing and sat down at the table, pouring himself a cup of coffee. The china was a delicate pattern of slightly raised white flowers against a light blue background of porcelain. "So what's all this?" he asked waving a huge hand around the room.

"Apparently, Felipe is concerned I don't have anything other than what I wore here. Which is good of him, considering he brought me here with no clothing."

Quinn looked grim. "This is quite the investment."

I shrugged. I had no idea what any of this cost.

"Sookie, I'm sorry."

"For?"

"For all of it."

I ate a third pastry. My eyebrows knitted together. "Quinn, if this is going to be another speech where you say you're sorry and then tell me I've made terrible choices...I'd rather you didn't. I'm in a bad enough position as it is."

Quinn rubbed his nose. "I know," he said, quietly. "And that's what I'm sorry about. I'm sorry you're stuck here, like I am. I really am."

I searched him for a while, digging though tangled were thoughts. All I got was that the vampires had something terrible on him and that he had to stay here and work for them. I looked over at all the clothing. "So should I keep it?"

Quinn shrugged. "What else are you going to wear?"

It was a good point. "Also," he said, "the king needs you to work for him. He needs you to read minds; you can't show up to one of his meetings wearing -- that." He nodded to my jeans and sweatshirt.

The sun was streaming brightly thought the large windows overlooking the patio. I stood up and wandered over to the sun. After a minute I opened the sliding door and stepped outside. It was surprisingly warm considering how cold it had been at night. I held the cup of coffee in my hands and closed my eyes, looking up at the sun. Just letting the warm of the light wash over me, I smiled, it was a wonderful feeling.

I could feel Quinn close by. I didn't open my eyes, "Quinn, will you do me a favor?"

"Anything babe." I opened one eye. "Well short of breaking you out of here."

"After I take a shower, will you tell me about -- uh, me?"

He smiled a big toothy smile. He was a handsome man. Between him, Eric and Bill I was impressed with myself.

"Sure thing babe."

I winced a little. Ok. I found attractive men anyway.

I stood out in the sun a little while longer and went inside to take a shower. I took my time in there. The bathroom was ridiculous. Las Vegas struck me as a dry place and I must have used up enough water to keep a small farm going. But it wasn't as though I had much of a choice. The shower had 8 heads and another one up in the ceiling that came down on you like a waterfall. I didn't know why but I felt like shaving. Muscle memory, I didn't know. But after every bit of my legs and arms were shaved and every inch of my body scrubbed with a delightful peach body wash I found in the bathroom, I stepped out all pruney and wrinkled. I gave myself a long look in the bathroom mirror. I would find my way out of here, I told myself. I would go back to my home (wherever that was) and I would make my own decisions.

I wrapped a towel around my hair and pulled on a fluffy and impossibly soft white robe. Quinn was waiting for me out in the main room. I poured myself a final cup of coffee and sat down across from him at the kitchen table.

"So..." I said, looking into his dark purple eyes, "how did we meet."

Quinn told me about the packmaster fight in Shreveport and our first date. He told me about my trip to New Orleans and the fight at the Queen's mansion.

Some of this dovetailed with what Eric had told me previously. Though it all felt real hazy, none of it made much sense.

I rubbed my eyes. This wasn't getting me anywhere, there was just too much to explain and everything led down new paths every time you wanted to know one thing you had to understand five others.

"What is it?" Quinn asked.

"There's just too much," I said sadly. "I can't get a grasp on it." I felt my spirits deflate a little.

There was a knock at the door. This was getting a little ridiculous. "We could just leave that door open," I called.

The door opened and one of the two Weres stepped in carrying a box. Quinn nodded at him, "Stephen."

I looked at the box; really I had enough boxes at this point. It was already open. Stephen picked his way carefully thought the room and sat it down next to me. "Want a pastry?" I asked.

"Sure!" he said amicably. Felipe had found yet another nice person to watch over me. _Bastard. _This would be a lot easier if I could just hate everyone involved. "I'm afraid I had to go through the package, Miss Stackhouse," he said awkwardly.

"Please, call my Sookie," I said reaching for the box and pulling it over to was a letter on top, written in a flowing hand on crisp, white paper:

_Lover,_

_Though I am sure they will find something for you to wear during your stay. I thought something to remind you of home would help. I have spoken to your roommate and all is well. ~E_

Apparently Eric was telling me that he'd gotten to Amelia and she was safe. Hopefully she was trying to rework the spell. I looked through the box to find some of the clothing Pam had brought over from my house the first night I stayed at Eric's and the big black tee shirt I'd been sleeping in. It was a sweet gesture to have at least one familiar thing.

Quinn rolled his eyes. Stephen chowed down a fourth pastry. "So," I said with a broad smile, while taking the towel off my hair, "who's going to help me pick through all this clothing?" From what they were thinking they'd both rather take turns in the Pits than pick through piles of clothing with me.

"What are the Pits?" I asked.

Quinn's face darkened a little, Stephen looked over at him warily. "I'll just be outside, Sookie," he said, swallowing down the rest of the coffee and hoofing it out of there at nearly vampire speed.

I looked at Quinn.

"You shouldn't do that, Sookie," he said softly. "Usually you don't listen in on people -- you think it's rude."

My anger flared a little, "It's not like I have a lot of control over it at the moment. And...and I'm just trying to make sense of it all."

Quinn rumbled something. "I know." He was silent for a while; I didn't know what to say so I just keep looking around the room and all the ridiculous boxes. There was no way I could wear all this clothing. "The Pits are...they're a kind of fight ring, Sookie. I worked there for several years." Quinn clasped his enormous hands in front of him, I noticed they were laced with fine scars -- like the ones all over my body; I didn't think I'd been working in The Pits.

I pulled a pair of jeans out of the box Eric sent me and took out his big black shirt. "I'll be right back," I said, disappearing into "my" bedroom to change.

"Do you have something you need to be doing?" I asked Quinn when I returned.

"Yes, actually," he said, "I just wanted to come -- I uh, felt bad about how we left it."

I crossed my arms over my chest. Noticing, and not for the first time, that Quinn took a moment to check out my boobs when I did. Nice. "I'm sorry I threw a glass at your head." Actually I was sorry I'd missed his head, but he didn't need to know that.

"Look," Quinn said, getting up on his feet, "go through your stuff, see what you want, get settled. The king needs you for a business meeting tonight at nine."

"Do you know what it's about?" I didn't like the idea of walking into more stuff I didn't know anything about.

"No."

With that Quinn left me. Alone in a room full of boxes and bags. I was pretty sure in another set of circumstances this would be highly enjoyable. As it was it just felt like I was sorting through piles of "things" that meant nothing. I was pretty sure the king didn't pick out the clothing my suspicions were confirmed about an hour later when a knock came at the door. The knocking had to stop; it wasn't like there was a lock on my side.

"Come in!" I called, from my place on the floor as I sorted through shoes.

A tall woman with waist length black hair, blue eyes and a tightly tailored white suite sauntered into the room. She looked around for a while before her eyes finally settled on me on the floor. When she saw me she looked a little surprised. She was human and I immediately knew she was shocked to find me in that big, black tee shirt.

"Ah! Sookie!" she said, warmly -- like we'd been friends for years. "The king told me you were beautiful."

I started to get up off the floor.

"I'm Lillian."

I stood there dumbly; she was here to help me pick out clothes. "You picked all this?"

"The king told me you were special," she said lightly.

Lillian was one of those impossibly beautiful women. She had high cheek bones, big eyes, her hair was perfect and her clothing fit so well I had to guess it was all made especially for her. Even though she seemed like an older woman she carried herself so well it was hard to think of her as anything but young. She'd been carrying a large bag - or was it a purse - which she sat down on the only open part of the room, the kitchen table.

"I'm the king's stylist," she said.

I didn't know what to say to that, _I'm the king's telepath? I'm the king's newly acquired telepath with amnesia?_ I rubbed the back of my neck, fanning out my damp hair. "Well you know I'm Sookie," I said cautiously.

"Call me Lily," she offered and crossed the room to pick up the phone. "Yes. This is Lillian. Send up some fruit. Yes, yes room 2120." She hung up without so much as a thank you. "So," she said, looking me over evenly. "I'm supposed to get a wardrobe together for you."

Lily spent most of the day with me. Around two in the afternoon she had lunch delivered. I confess I used her to see how my shields were doing. For the most part I was able to keep her thoughts out of my head, I found this encouraging, and it was a pleasure to learn about her from her, not from her thoughts drifting in unannounced. Lily had been a model, she worked all the big shows (I didn't know what that meant but it sounded impressive) and when she started to get old she went into fashion design. About 10 years ago she met up with Felipe, she laughed when she told me about his penchant for capes. And she'd been with him ever since.

"How's he to work for?" I was holding up a pair of green wool pants.

"Go try those on," said Lily. "We're going to have to go up a size and take them in at the waist I think."

I went into my bedroom to change into the pants; we'd been at this for hours. Apparently my tits and ass made me difficult to size. For the most part I was a size 8 in the waist and a size 10 in the hips, meaning I had to get everything in a 10 and have them taken in. Lily had pinned everything and taken measurements for the seamstress. Everything, even the underwear, said _made in Italy._ And I was sure it cost a fortune.

"He's a great boss," she said when I came back. She tilted her head a little looking at the pants. She handed me a pair of red heals (made in France). "Has an employee benefit plan, gives good vacation, doesn't tolerate sexual harassment, and doesn't let his vampires touch anyone." She pulled at the waist of my pants and thought for a bit. After a few careful pins she took a step back and admired her work. "Here," she said, handing me a wrap dress. "I think this is your best bet for tonight. You won't need to have it taken in and it will look nice but not too dressy."

She handed me a lapis blue, cashmere wrap dress. I disappeared into my room (for the millionth time) carefully shucked off my pinned pants and pulled on the dress. It was soft, warm and quite possibly the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I wanted to sleep in it, it was so soft. I stepped back out into the main room to find Lily going through boxes of shoes. She pulled out a pair of knee high black suede boots with a stacked heal and a rounded toe. "Here, wear it with these. You'll pet yourself all evening," she said with a smile.

I handed her the pants and started to pull on the boots. When I was all done I was a vision in touchable things. The boots were soft, the dress something I found myself petting constantly. Lily stood back again, pleased with her work.

"You need jewelry and hair." I was sure I had hair. The look of confusion gave me away. "You need to do your hair," she offered. Lily picked up the phone again and called down looking for a hair stylist. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed and slumped against the bar. "You know what, Tracy, cancel that."

Lily gave me a long look, "What's wrong?"

"I just feel so overwhelmed I guess." It had been a rather whirlwind day.

"I'll do your hair," she offered. She disappeared into my bathroom looking for hair stuff and returned with a water spritzer, a curling iron and several brushes. Where the hell had that stuff been? "Oh I had this delivered this morning before you woke up. I'd die without a curling iron."

She sat me down on a kitchen chair and started to brush out my hair. "So, what's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"Amnesia." Oh, that.

"Confusing, mostly. It's like I want to know something and can't -- constantly."

Lily didn't know what to say to that. I knew because I deliberately listened in on her thoughts. The king himself had called her last night and told her to come and help me this morning. She was glad she'd be able to do her job so well, she was glad I didn't give her any trouble and she seemed genuinely sorry to see me so lost. I found myself bitterly bemused at the king's ability to pick people who would be kind to me and make it hard to hate him. "There we are, all done."

I stood up to go look at myself in the mirror. A stranger looked back at me. I looked -- really nice. This was the nicest reflection of me I'd seen in four days. My hair was down and smooth with gentle curls going through it. The dress brought out my blue eyes and yes, I constantly wanted to pet myself it was so soft. "I hardly recognize myself," I said.

"It's all you, darlin'." She started to gather the clothing together in piles. Stuff to keep, stuff to get taken in and stuff to go back to wherever stuff like this comes from. "You're going to knock them dead." And then after a moment, "well, you know, if they weren't already dead."

"Will I see you again?" I said, not a little desperately.

Tracy's face softened a little. "Of course," she said. "Whenever you want." An idea popped into her head. "Do you like the clothing?"

"Yes." I answered honestly. I liked Eric's shirt more because it seemed more 'mine' but I did like the stuff she'd picked out for me.

"Well. On days you don't have to work for the king, come work for me. You're beautiful, and you're friendly. People will like you."

I wondered what she'd think of having the extra bodyguards. But it seemed like a nice gesture.

Lily went over to a few more boxes, pulling out one that said "Graff" on it. She produced a shiny necklace with a clear stone as a pendent and earrings that looked like a waterfall of crystals. "Here, put these on." She handed the earrings to me in the palm of her hand, they glittered like fire. Once I had the earrings in, she walked behind me and put on the necklace. "Think about what I said, darlin', I'd enjoy having you around." She kissed me on the cheek, gathered up an armful of clothing and disappeared out my front door.

It was a little after five in the evening. From the gathering darkness I knew the sun would be setting soon. I wondered if I should eat before going to meet the king at nine. Again someone knocked at the door. I resolved to just have it propped open. "Yes?" I called.

A youngish boy filtered into the room. He was thin, pale and not my biggest fan. When he took a look at what I was wearing, my earrings and all the clothing he was thinking I was the king's latest whore. I found myself flinching from the accusation and raised my shields. "What can I do for you?" I said, calmly.

"Nothing," he said, "I'm just here to pick up your throwaways."

I wondered if Felipe picked this guy too as a not so gentle reminder of what the rest of the world must think of people like me. "Fine," I said, waving him off. I sat down at the kitchen table and unzipped my boots. There was nothing to be done but wait until the king called.

* * *

A/N(s):

Again, I own nothing. This is based of the works of C. Harris.


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10_

_Summary thus far: Sookie is out on the road with no memory of how she got there. Eric finds her and takes her to Fangtasia. After consulting with Pam and Bill he takes Sookie home with him. She has a good night sleep. The next night we learn Amelia accidently erased Sookie's memory (hey it happens). Bill comes over to teach Sookie how to control her "gift." Eric returns from Fangtasia and discovers having what you've always wanted isn't what it's cracked up to be._

_The next night Eric takes Sookie with him to Fangtasia. Victor Madden, figures out something is amiss with Miss Stackhouse. Madden tells Eric and Sookie to report to Las Vegas. Eric and Sookie go to Vegas. Where the king finds out there is something very wrong with Sookie. He insists she stay with him in Las Vegas. That same night Quinn says some rather cruel things and Sookie starts making friends with her guards. The next morning the king has an entire wardrobe sent over for her to pick through._

_This Chapter: Amelia and Pam._

_Next Chapter: Business meetings with the king._

* * *

I had my orders. Go to the witch, get her away from her home before Felipe had her killed. Seemed simple enough. I made it to Bon Temps in record time, even for a vampire. After Victor's visit it was clear he knew.

I liked Amelia, she was good, for a human -- and a witch. Facts were: she'd fucked-up. It was all fun and games when we glamoured Sookie and had fun at her expense, but once Jonathan showed up, once we knew Victor knew -- we knew the king knew. When Eric was ordered to Las Vegas it seemed increasingly likely that at least one of them wouldn't be returning.

I liked Sookie well enough too, but if one if them had to "stay" in Las Vegas I hoped it was the plucky telepath. Losing Eric for a human just wasn't an option. It was early evening when I turned down Hummingbird Road, the kitchen light was on and the rest of the house was dark. I hoped I wasn't too late.

As I parked my car Amelia came out to greet me. Poor thing was probably happy I'd come. I climbed out of my car and walked up to the porch.

"We need to go."

"I haven't finished the spell, Pam."

"I know." I didn't stop to listen to Amelia's protests. Half dragging half carrying I took her out off the porch (and thank-goodness too, If Amelia rescinded my invitation it was all over) only to meet up with, dark, brooding and obnoxious. "Bill." I said

"Pam."

Both of us ignored the struggling witch in my arms.

"What are you doing here Pam."

It seemed fairly obvious to me. I continued on toward my car. Shoving Amelia toward the passenger side. "Let's go witch." I looked over at Bill, "Victor knows. Eric has been called to Las Vegas with Sookie." Bill seemed to lose even more of his color.

"What's Eric's plan?" Asked Bill. By now Amelia understood enough that she settled quietly into the passenger's side of the car.

"I don't have time for this Bill. Victor's men could be here any moment."

"I'll come with you."

Really, that isn't necessary. I thought. But Bill had offered to give his life for Sookie before, he might be useful. What was more, I didn't have time to discuss vampire politics with Bill.

"Fine, get in."

We were on our way down the dark road.

Amelia spoke up. "What's going to happen?" The underlying question was, 'what would happen to her.' Humans.

"It is to be hoped that you'll reverse the spell and the king won't be able to keep Sookie once she can make her own decisions. Once that happens you'll be useless to the king and he won't bother with you." The road raced past us in inky-blackness.

"How does he know?" Bill said coldly.

"Victor must have spies in Eric's camp." Obviously.

"How does he know about Amelia?" His voice was flat, even, cold. How had Sookie ever been with him?

"He doesn't, this is a precaution. Sookie can be glamoured, if the king finds this out he'll know who did this to Sookie. Then he'll move to get rid of Amelia. It's what I'd do, it's what Eric would do -- the king won't be far behind."

"Pam." Amelia said, desperation in her voice. "I don't know if I can reverse this spell. I still don't know what went wrong."

I knew she needed reassurance. I knew the loss of her fiancee still hurt her. I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. But she needed to know the truth. "Amelia," I said smoothly, "if Eric doesn't get back his favorite toy -- the king is the least of your worries."

No one said anything for a while. "Where are we going?" Amelia asked. Seemed the shock of the situation had finally worn off and she was coping. That was good.

It was a good question too. I had to guess what Victor knew and didn't know. We didn't know who the spy was, we didn't know how he had heard about Sookie, for the first time I wondered if Bill had betrayed Sookie to the king. Could he hate seeing Sookie with Eric that much that he'd effectively sell her into slavery? No, he loved her too much to see her used that way. That left Fangtasia's staff, all Eric's sworn vampires. "Somewhere safe." At the moment, it was all I had.

* * *

_A/N:_

Again, I own nothing. This is based of the works of C. Harris.


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11_

_Summary thus far: Sookie is out on the road with no memory of how she got there. Eric finds her and takes her to Fangtasia. After consulting with Pam and Bill he takes Sookie home with him. She has a good night sleep. The next night we learn Amelia accidently erased Sookie's memory (hey it happens). Bill comes over to teach Sookie how to control her "gift." Eric returns from Fangtasia and discovers having what you've always wanted isn't what it's cracked up to be._

_The next night Eric takes Sookie with him to Fangtasia. Victor Madden, figures out something is amiss with Miss Stackhouse. Madden tells Eric and Sookie to report to Las Vegas. Eric and Sookie go to Vegas. Where the king finds out there is something very wrong with Sookie. He insists she stay with him in Las Vegas. That same night Quinn says some rather cruel things and Sookie starts making friends with her guards. The next morning the king has an entire wardrobe sent over for her to pick through._

_Before leaving for Las Vegas Eric sends Pam to get Amelia on the off chance that someone (Victor or the King) figures out Amelia cast the spell on Sookie and wants her out of the way. Pam grabs the witch and when last we see them -- they're on the lam._

_This Chapter: Business meetings with the king._

_Next Chapter: Eric is pissed. Working for the king, kinda sucks. Felipe is a clever bastard._

_

* * *

  
_

I was getting hungry.

And I had a sick feeling that started in my stomach and intensified as the night went on. I had a moment of wanting Eric there so badly it made me a little dizzy, and then I looked out the window and the gathering gloom I felt only anger at my own predicament.

After a looking around the room I ended up picking up the phone as I'd seen Lily do, a firm voice at the other end answered. "Yes"

"Um, could I have some food?"

"What do you want?"

"What do you have?"

"What do you like?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I'll call you back," and hung up.

It took me a while to figure out what to do next. Eventually I opened the door to the hallway and found Christopher and Ivan coming on duty. "Ivan can you help me?"

He took in my outfit the jewelry, the hair. "Sookie, you look beautiful!"

"Um. Thanks. Do you know where I could find a list of food this place serves?"

"Like a menu?" That seemed right.

"Yea."

Ivan nodded to Christopher, "I'll be right back." He followed me inside. After a few minutes of searching he found what he was looking for under the phone in the kitchen area. "Here it is. Just look through the list and see what you want."

I took the menu from him. "Anything you want?"

"Vampires don't eat. And I don't have a death-wish." He said, taking up a lean against the kitchen counter.

I blushed a little when I realized he was talking about me. "I mean from the menu, I'm sure they have bottled blood."

"Oh sure! Yea, two ABs."

He waited as I used the phone again. "Hey, yea, no I just spoke to you. Could I have the house salad, chicken on the side and two ABs? Thanks." I hung up the phone, "That was easier than I thought."

"Care for company at dinner?"

"Would you?" It would be awkward to eat alone.

Ivan stuck around while I waited for the food. I asked him what he did during the day and he just laughed. "I have no idea, when I sleep I'm dead to the world," he said with a shrug.

I sat down at the kitchen table. "Do you know what's going to go on tonight?"

"Not really. I think you're meeting up with some business associates of the king."

I should have found it disturbing how easy it was to slide into a conversation with my new vampire friend, or how readily I was accepting everything else going on around me. But I didn't. I didn't really question any of it and I hadn't even slept in a normal bed here.

There was a knock at the door. "Your food," Ivan said. In a flash he was gone and back again with a True Blood in one hand and a tray of food in another. "When you're done with dinner it's time to go."

After that I ate in silence. I wasn't sure what to expect out there and it frightened me.

Sensing my discomfort Ivan watched me as I ate. "Sookie, it will be fine. You're going to go there, listen to some heads and come back here. Nothing weird."

I had to wonder what, exactly, Ivan would find weird. "Says the vampire, guarding the telepath with amnesia..."

He chucked, "_Touché_. What would make you feel better?"

"Going home," I stabbed at some chicken angrily.

There was only so long I could drag out eating a salad with chicken. Ivan seemed to know I was stalling. He nursed the True Blood saying nothing. When all the lettuce was gone and I'd pulled back on the black suede boots he waited for me by the door.

"Ready?"

"If I say no, do I get to stay here?"

Ivan's green eyes settled on me. "No," he said quietly. "I'm sorry. I wish you had more time to get used to your situation."

I let out a weary sigh. More gently than I would have thought possible he took my hand and guided me out the door. It was the first time I'd been out of my room in about 24 hours. I felt dizzy for a moment just thinking about everything that had changed in that time. "One of us will be with you, always, Sookie. We're not to leave you."

That felt reassuring, but I still wanted to run back to my room. It felt "safe" for the want of a better word; it almost seemed "mine" even though nothing in there was. Christopher fell into step behind us saying nothing. We reached the elevator doors, Ivan used his plastic key card and we stepped on. "Don't suppose I could get one of those?"

"No," said Christopher. I could see Ivan was there to be my friend and Christopher the enforcer.

Ivan pulled me to his side. "Sookie, after you've done what the king asks you can go back to your room. It will be fine." The elevator went down, not up. I felt panic rise in my throat, I hoped they weren't taking me down to the casino floor. "What's wrong?"

"I can't go to the casino floor. Too many people."

"We're not going there," said Christopher. The elevator came to a stop, the doors opened and he stepped out waiting for us to move.

"We're on the 12th floor." Ivan said helpfully, guiding me off. His hand moved to my arm. I wasn't going anywhere he didn't want me to go.

The 12 floor was just a plush hallway with meeting rooms. We took a right, then a left and then another right then we were in a big room with a large table made of shiny wood. Bottle water was stacked on a sideboard against the wall. There were no windows, and the only other way out was a door in the back of the room. Somehow, it wasn't what I'd expected.

"Have a seat," said Ivan, "the king will be here soon."

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and the palms of my hands start to sweat, I hoped I didn't ruin my new dress. Ivan and Christopher took up positions in corners of the room. I sat down at the chair furthest away from both of them. We didn't wait long.

The king swept into the room without preamble and without an entourage. One moment the room had just me and two other vampires and the next it had three. Ivan and Christopher bowed, I started to scramble to my feet but the king waved me back down. "Stay where you are," he paused and smiled, "Sookie."

Once again I was struck by just how beautiful vampires were. Where Ivan looked like some wild creature of the woods -- he was still beautiful, elemental. Christopher looked like a stone etching and Felipe -- Felipe was a creature onto himself. Beautiful, yes, regal, yes. He was like a dark jewel gleaming against velvet. My mouth went dry. He walked over to my seat, picking up a bottle of water off the sideboard and twisting off the cap in one smooth motion as he did. Without a word he handed me the bottle of water and sat down. He was wearing a charcoal gray suit, a stiff white shirt and what looked like silver cufflinks inlayed with blue enamel. A ruby gleamed brightly in his ear. "You look lovely tonight." Yes, I suppose I did -- because of him.

Problem was I didn't know what to say,_ thanks for the clothing, true I only needed it because you're holding me against my will in a casino. Oh and the stylist was a nice touch_...I went with, "Thank you, your majesty, the clothing is beautiful."

He ran a hand lightly over the long sleeve of the dress then lightly touched my dangling earring. Lily had said everyone would want to touch the dress, apparently everyone meant: king. I took a hesitant swig of the water. The king sat back and watched me with dark eyes. "You'll have to move."

I looked around the room, unsure of exactly where I had to move to. He rose and helped slide the chair away from me as I got to my feet. He motioned to the chair at the left of the head of the table. Felipe said something, silently it seemed, to the other two vampires and they both left the room. So much for not leaving me, thanks Ivan. I took my new seat while the king settled in next to me.

"You will meet several bankers tonight and mortgage brokers. I want to know what they really think of some markets." I wasn't following and it showed on my face. "Do not worry; you will do a fine job. I have no doubt." Christopher filtered back into the room and handed me a pad of paper and a pen. "Please do not speak in the meeting, write down your thoughts on the paper." I could hear noise in the hallway, and felt the pressure on my brain that meant human minds were coming closer.

Two men and two women filed in. They all wore suits, the woman wore their hair up and it seemed to me the men looked respectable. Everyone gave me a quick once over and just as quickly they dismissed me as the secretary who was probably "banging" the vampire sitting next to me. I looked over at the king; they didn't know who he was, exactly. They knew he worked for the Vegas vamps, they knew he worked for the king, they did not know who the king was and they weren't from around here.

"Ah!" said the king warmly as he got to his feet and crossed the room to meet up with his new guests. "So good of you to join me, I hope your trip wasn't too arduous." Some of his accent fell away as he talked, his posture seemed to change, and he was less poised, less "kingly." I watched it all with wide eyes saying nothing. "I have arranged for a small dinner...just something to eat while we discuss our business."

They started to make introductions. "I'm Don," said the king.

A tall blond said, "I'm Nikolai, this is Nehil," he said nodded to a medium sized man with black hair, brown eyes and coffee colored skin. "And that is Mary and Sue." He finished off by nodding to the two women. Nikolai had a definite accent but I had no idea from where. He was tall, taller than the king with high cheekbones, narrow, bright blue eyes and fair skin.

I was here to listen to thoughts so I left down any shields I'd put up and listened in. The woman liked my dress, the men were all thinking what I'd look like out of my dress, one of them thought I'd like nice bent over the board room table...I shuddered as much as I wanted to block out the rest of his thoughts I knew I couldn't.

Several waiters (all Weres I realized after trying to get a read on their brains) brought in trays of food with cheese and fruit, they set out bottles of wine and water and left glasses for us to use. After a brief bustle of activity they were gone.

Felipe resumed his seat next to me and watched it all play out with glittering eyes. The five other people took up seats around the table and tucked into the light fare of wine and cheese. I didn't move. The tall blond was the definite leader. He took his seat opposite to Felipe, for a moment his eyes lingered on me, then seeing the pad of paper in front of me he decided I was here to take notes -- and maybe a high class fangbanger.

They started off talking about the weather, that it was cold here at night, and the air very dry. Nikolai wanted to get on with it; he had other meetings to go to. He felt meeting with vampires was beneath him.

Land deals and mortgages weren't Nikolai's only area of business. The mortgage business helped wash the money he got from other business dealings. I gathered it wasn't entirely legal. His mind flashed to a night he had recently at one of their less legitimate business places -- she wasn't willing. I could feel her struggle turn him on. She was a recent import he thought, and it was his pleasure to break her in. More than anything I wanted to block out this train of thought -- but I couldn't, not if I wanted to do the job Felipe had set out for me.

I was becoming increasingly agitated throughout the meeting. The king would look at me from time to time looking grim. Maybe I wasn't working out exactly as he planned. Maybe this pissed him off. I didn't know.

On the business side of things Nehil seemed to think this was a waste of time, fucking with vampires didn't seem like a good idea to him, no matter the potential reward. Everyone else was just excited to be in Las Vegas, the two women, Mary and Sue wanted to ask Felipe if they could stay with him tonight. I shuddered. I tuned back in on Nikolai, he'd already sold off most of his investment. He was hoping to "pump and dump" the rest. Felipe was a big fish; if they could get through "Don" they would only have to make this one sale and then disappear. He expected the markets to crash wildly soon enough, he didn't see how any of this was sustainable -- but he hoped to make some quick cash.

Apparently Nikolai started out working for some kind of organization that wasn't wholly legal. Then, a few years ago he got into banking and mortgages. He still had that other side of his business; he still owed his "family" or something. They still ran women and sold them as prostitutes.

I kept my head down for the rest of the meeting.

Finally after what seemed like forever the meeting ended. There was a kind of formal goodbye, the king/Don rose, we all followed his movements, and everyone filed out of the room. Since I didn't know where to go I just stood there and waited.

When Ivan didn't return to get me I started looking around the room. If I went out through the front I risked running into people. I knew the wait staff had used a different entrance. I went to the back of the room and found a door locked with a security panel. Key cards! I tried the other way, going back through the board room.

Felipe was waiting for me.

He sat regally at the head of the table. Don had fallen away from his persona. He sat in his chair, shoulders back, dark eyes glittering at me in the light of the room. I felt everything close in on me. Maybe he thought I was off using the bathroom. Was there even a bathroom in that direction?

"What was that?" Felipe asked, with no more elaboration. Words froze in my throat, I froze where I stood.

What was what? Was I trying to escape, did he not like what I did for him at the meeting? I could feel my heart pound in my chest, heart actually hurt it was beating so hard. Where was Ivan?

"I don't know what you're talking about." I put my hand on my chest. I wanted to back up and put some distance between me and the king, but there was nowhere to go. The only way out was past him and I wouldn't get far anyway. I didn't even understand why I was so afraid.

"You looked physically sick during that entire meeting." His accent was back and strummed over the words.

Oh that! "That." I spat out. "That man is vile"

The king left his chair and walked toward me. "Go on."

"He runs a sex slave business." I took a step back and ran into the sideboard against the wall, no more retreating.

"What do you mean?"

I felt my eyebrows come together, was there more than one kind? "I mean, he smuggles people in from someplace and uses them." I was finding it difficult to breath with the king so close.

"Well that's...inconvenient." He stopped in front of me.

I made a strangled, exasperated sound. I was also about to pass out from fear.

The king watched me for a while. "It's inconvenient," he said quietly.

"That's it?"

The king waved his hand. "Would you like more?" He looked puzzled.

"It's _wrong_!" My heart pounded in my ears.

Felipe shrugged. He looked so beautiful standing there.

"It's _inconvenient_. If our human detractors were to find out that we did business with him, it would look bad for us."

I felt my face get all hot. "The rest of it doesn't bother you. It's wrong."

"Dieu me pardonnera. C'est son metier." He said lightly, and reached over to brush some nonexistent lint off my shoulder.

I looked down at his hand on my shoulder and then up at him, blankly. Apparently I only knew one language. I wondered if I'd ever had the opportunity to learn another one.

"God will forgive me, it's his job," he said quietly. "If humans want to be terrible to one another why should I get in their way?"

"Because most of them don't have any choice. Because you could put a stop to it!" Was I really shouting back to a vampire king? Were my survival skills this poor? Yes, yes they were. My fear was being replaced with anger.

Felipe looked at me dubiously. The hotter my voice got the cooler his got. "Sookie, even if I were to personally take on the Russian mafia, there would always be men like him. You above all must learn this truth: most of life is giving up what you want to get what you need."

"But you're not going to do business with him?" I said, hoping the defiance in my voice wasn't that obvious.

"That will depend on what you tell me. It would be very bad for my business interests if it was discovered I did business with someone who traffics in humans. More to the point I'm not sure he has my best interests at heart."

"You'll tell someone about him?"

The king was silent.

"Won't turning him in hurt your human detractors?"

Felipe bowed his head a little and chuckled. "Ah. I see what the sheriff sees in you. Fine. I'll turn him in -- but only because you thought to appeal to my nature, not because I think it is the right thing to do.

Now tell me about the rest. What do they really think of the markets?"

My head was swimming. I needed to get some space between me and him but the only way to do it would be to push back against him. I tried stepping slightly to the side. "They think you're not very smart, they've already sold most of their positions and they're hoping you'll invest in new land -- . I don't understand the financial stuff, but they're out to screw you. They want you to buy in so they can sell the rest of their stuff. They think a collapse is coming."

"Very interesting," he ignored my attempts to put more space between us and tucked some of my hair behind my ear. I shuddered, despite myself -- the king had given me no reason to fear him.

"Let me take you back to your room."

Without waiting for an answer from me, he took my arm and led me back through the board room, down the hallway and back onto the elevator (he had a key card of course).

"Where's Ivan?" I was beginning to feel worried about how this evening was going.

"He'll meet you back at your room."

The rest of the trip was silent. After the long meeting it was good to settle back into the blissful silence of a vampire mind. Ivan and Christopher were standing guard outside of my room. "Thank you for your assistance, Sookie, it was most valuable."

When he left I looked at Ivan and asked, "Can I get your help with something?"

"Sure," he said, cheerfully, opening my door for me.

"Um, it's with the phone."

Ivan followed me inside. He'd let his hair down since the meeting, it was long and almost sun kissed with bright blonds and reds mixed into his brown hair. I sat down at my kitchen table and started to pull off my boots. "If I wanted to call someone and didn't know their number, could I?" I asked hopefully.

"Sure," Ivan said, watching me as he leaned against the back of the sofa. "Who do you want to call?"

I thought about what to say. It would be dangerous to try and call Amelia. I didn't know anyone else other than Eric. I knew Ivan was the king's man, he was here as my hired guard no matter how kind he was to me, he was here to make sure I stayed here with the king and had no way back home.

"I want to call Eric." I said, honestly. I figured this forced Ivan into either helping me or not. If not he risked alienating the person (me) he was supposed to get onto his side.

Ivan smiled, thinking over my request. "Sure. Do you know his address?"

"No...I was hoping to call his club, Fangtasia."

He nodded to the phone. "Pick it up, tell them what you want."

I did and the same firm voice answered from earlier that night. "Yes?"

"I want to make a phone call but I don't know the number."

"Name of the place?"

"Um, Fangtasia."

"What state?"

I thought for a moment, Eric had said Victor was Felipe's man in Louisiana.

"Louisiana."

"One moment."

The phone started ringing on the other end. I looked at Ivan. "It's ringing."

He pushed off from the back of the sofa. "I'll give you some privacy," he offered and exited the room.

"Fangtasia." Oh thank God! Pam.

"This is Sookie, Sookie Stackhouse," I started. "Is Eric there?"

"Sookie?" Pam sounded surprised. "You're still in Las Vegas? Is everything alright?"

No, everything was not all right; I seemed to be the permanent guest of the king. "Pam, everything is fine -- I think. Look I don't know if anyone is listening to this, I don't know if they'll keep letting me talk. Is Eric there?"

I could hear the sounds changing on the other end of the phone. "Yes, Eric is here Sookie; I am taking the phone to him now."

"This is Eric."

"Eric!" OK, I didn't put too much useful information in there. Shocked silence on the other end of the phone.

"Sookie? How..."

"There's a phone in my room," I offered.

"Yes, of course. Sookie is everything all right?"

What to say to that? "Eric, I think everything is fine..." I spent the next five minutes telling him what happened that day, about the clothing, about Quinn about my guards and the meeting I sat in that night. When I was done there was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

"Eric?"

"I am here Sookie. Keep up your good work for the king. I'm very proud of you. Keep in touch."

The line went dead on the other end. I stared at the phone for a while. What was that? I thought about calling back, but it seemed like Eric had ended the conversation on purpose. I thought about it a few times and hung up the phone. It occurred to me that I was alone -- not just in the room, but in this entire situation. I couldn't be sure Eric would get me out of here.

Since going out for the evening someone had come to my room and straightened up. The few piles of clothes from earlier in the day were gone. A quick check in my bedroom closet found them neatly packed away. I sat down on my bed and numbly started pulling off my boots and earrings.

The earrings felt heavy in my hands, I turned them over and looked at the backs. 925 Plat. I didn't know what that meant; I turned them over in my hand and looked at the glittering stones. They shined back at me coldly. I put the earrings down on the nightstand next to the bed and padded over to the bathroom. The same Sookie Stackhouse greeted me in the bathroom mirror I was getting increasingly accustomed to her face. I ran my hands over the beautiful wrap dress. The king had certainly done a good job. Maybe he hoped I'd never want to leave.

I took off the necklace and put it on a silver colored tray next to the sink, washed my face, brushed my teeth and went back into the bedroom. I untied my dress and carefully hung it up in my closet. Then I saw, neatly folded and placed on a shelf the black tee shirt Eric had sent to me that morning. I pulled it over my head. It smelled of Eric's house, of safety -- of the familiar. I was hit with such a feeling of longing and loss I thought my heart would break.

I crawled into bed then, wrapping my arms around myself. Sleep came as waves of exhaustion pulled me out to sea.

* * *

_A/N: _Again, I own nothing. This is based of the works of C. Harris.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_Summary thus far: Sookie is out on the road with no memory of how she got there. Eric finds her and takes her to Fangtasia. After consulting with Pam and Bill he takes Sookie home with him. She has a good night sleep. The next night we learn Amelia accidently erased Sookie's memory (hey it happens). Bill comes over to teach Sookie how to control her "gift." Eric returns from Fangtasia and discovers having what you've always wanted isn't what it's cracked up to be._

_The next night Eric takes Sookie with him to Fangtasia. Victor Madden, figures out something is amiss with Miss Stackhouse. Madden tells Eric and Sookie to report to Las Vegas. Eric and Sookie go to Vegas. Where the king finds out there is something very wrong with Sookie. He insists she stay with him in Las Vegas. That same night Quinn says some rather cruel things and Sookie starts making friends with her guards. The next morning the king has an entire wardrobe sent over for her to pick through._

_Before leaving for Las Vegas, Eric sends Pam to get Amelia on the off chance that someone (Victor or the King) figures out Amelia cast the spell on Sookie and wants her out of the way. Pam grabs the witch and when last we see them -- they're on the lam._

_Sookie's first night in Vegas she works for the king by listening in on some business associates. The king gets a little too close, and Sookie figures out how to call Eric. Though she's beginning to suspect if she's going to get out of this mess, she's going to have to find her own way out._

_This Chapter: Eric isn't pleased. The Stackhouse curse lives!_

---

We arrived at the Shreveport packmaster's house in less than an hour. I didn't like the idea of involving them but Alcide had always been loyal to Sookie. He owed her and Amelia had been engaged to one of his Weres; he could be convinced that the packed owed her too.

"Pam," Alcide said, his large frame taking up the entire doorway. He didn't seem pleased to see me. His attention turned to Amelia and then Bill. "This isn't a social call."

"You need to invite us in," I said.

"Amelia can come in," his green eyes moved back to Amelia then over to me again.

I didn't have time for this shit. I needed to get back to Fangtasia and work on who sold us out and to whom. Before she could step forward, I grabbed onto Amelia's wrist and gave it a squeeze. " Alcide," I said smoothly, "I need to you keep her safe, if you do not someone will kill her and you will never see Sookie again." Alcide's eyebrows shot up. Well, at least now I had his attention.

"Pam, you and Amelia may come in," he said, reaching past me to take Amelia's hand. If he wanted to be her white knight that was fine with me. I didn't have time to comfort her. No doubt he knew he could rescind my invitation at any time but the important things were that he kept Amelia safe, he allowed no one to get to her and he told no one of her whereabouts. The rest he didn't need to know.

I let go of Amelia's wrist and stepped inside leaving Bill on the porch. It was the home of a Were -- didn't need to say more about it than that. Mostly leather and wood everywhere, a few family pictures. Nothing too interesting.

"What have you done?" Alcide asked me.

"I haven't done anything," I answered truthfully.

"What's wrong with Sookie?"

What wasn't? But that was beside the point. "Sookie is currently with Felipe de Castro and she will stay there unless you keep Amelia safe from him, tell no one where she is."

Alcide's eyebrows drew together. "Why, what's going on?"

"If Amelia wants to tell you she can." This wasn't my secret to tell, if Amelia wanted to take her life into her hands and confess what she did to Alcide, she could. The more people who knew the more she would be in danger. Alcide could gain considerable leverage and favor from the king by handing over Amelia. On the other hand, another witch could, in theory, remove the spell. "Well, packmaster?"

Alcide stood a little straighter. "Sookie is a friend of the pack, Amelia was engaged to one of ours, we will protect her," he said firmly.

"Done," I said, leaving a shell-shocked Amelia with Alcide.

Just as I was leaving through the front door I heard Alcide say, "I rescind your invitation," and magic whisked me the rest of the way out. Well, one thing to say about the Shreveport packmaster -- he wasn't an idiot, even if he was a Were.

Bill was waiting for me in my car. "I need you to use your database and do some looking into Thalia and Felicia." We were on the road again speeding through the Louisiana night. "They are the only ones who would know enough to be able to compromise us to Victor and Felipe." Bill said nothing. I knew he understood. There was no need for further communication on the subject. Felicia we could simply torture until she confessed or broke. Thalia was far more dangerous. She was an ancient vampire, physically she was far more powerful than Eric, and to cross her was to risk the final deaths of us all.

But the more I thought about it the less inclined I was to believe it would be Thalia who betrayed us. Thalia was ancient and powerful, she lived here because she wanted to live here. She needed protection from no one, she had resources and she was tired of the world. Getting involved in vampire politics would only annoy her. Felicia, on the other hand, was young (for a vampire), impressionable, and stupid. Whoever had turned her, turned her because she was beautiful. They used her for sex. She even came to this area because she was tired of having to be of "service" to her masters. She didn't have means, she had to work for Eric and she wasn't powerful enough to fend off vampires who would force her to work for them and even humans who would bring her final death because she wasn't smart enough to protect herself.

We pulled into Fangtasia's parking lot. Thalia, Felicia and the human employees had opened the bar up for the night. I turned to Bill, "You should focus your attention to Felicia. If it's Thalia, we need to wait for Eric anyway."

Bill nodded understanding. Getting rid of Thalia would require all of our efforts. I went to the front and Bill to the back. There was a computer back there and he would be far more helpful there, than anywhere else.

The night wore on and then long after the bar closed and the last fangbanger took herself home, I knew Eric had returned. I could feel his anger. Dawn was in an hour, the only reason for him to come straight to Fangtasia was to speak to me.

"Eric." Just as I feared, the plucky telepath was nowhere to be seen.

"Pam."

"Sookie?"

"With the king." Eric spent the next twenty minutes explaining what happened in Las Vegas.

"Victor has a spy here." Clearly.

I nodded. "We're looking into it. Bill has been in the back all night. We've narrowed it down to Felicia or Thalia. They're the only ones who could have possibly known and there are no listening devices here."

Vampires can be uncomfortable for a long time before they need to do anything about it. The flight back from Las Vegas to New Orleans must have been really uncomfortable. There was nothing to be done other than plot, and dream of tearing Victor's head off. Not that any of us could begrudge him what he'd done. In his position, Eric would have done the same thing, only he would have had the girl bonded to him by the time he brought her to the king -- perhaps arranging some kind of accident so that she needed to receive vampire blood to save her life. Then Eric would have killed any of the other vampires in her life. The king didn't care who the telepath was attached to, so long as he could use her and she was well cared for, enough that she would be useful.

Eric still had that look of wanting to rip the head off someone. He probably would I reflected, but hopefully it would be the person who was to blame. Hearing us Bill emerged from the back.

"What have you learned?" asked Eric, with no further preamble.

"Felicia has made a number of phone calls to a cell registered to someone living in New Orleans." Felicia was dumber than I thought.

"Thalia?" asked Eric.

"Hasn't made a phone call in over a year." Bill's skin was looking gray again, he needed to feed.

"Felicia's also been receiving money from an unmarked account."

If Felicia was working for Victor, he didn't care about her safety. Or he knew we could find out and hope Eric would fly into a rage and challenge him. Of course, to leave this unchallenged was a black-mark against Eric's name and ability to lead and keep his human safe. The wisest course of action was to do nothing to Victor and remove Felicia; but vampire justice demanded something for Victor. I would have to think about that.

"Where is Felicia now?" asked Eric.

"Her nest," I answered. I'd followed her home earlier in the evening.

"Go to ground," said Eric. "Bill you will not make it to your home in time for the rising of the sun. You may take refuge at my home. As for Felicia. Say nothing, we will deal with her tomorrow."

....

The next night there was nothing to do but sit and wait for Felicia to return. There was no question she would, she couldn't run to Victor without admitting what she'd done, and Victor couldn't take her in because she was sworn to Eric. Until Amelia removed the spell or Sookie, herself, forced some other kind of action, we were at a stalemate there too. At the end of the night our options were two: sit and do nothing, waiting for the Telepath's memory to come back and hope the king released her back to our care or mount a war against the king.

A war we would not win.

Felipe was powerful, Victor was powerful -- they had too many allies and too many friends. And they had wisely killed most of the vampires who would be loyal to Eric in Louisiana. Eric didn't have a habit of risking the lives of his underlings in a futile struggle. Yes, we fought against the fairies but Eric only risked what he was willing to lose. He did not send so many of us against the Fae, that if we fell in battle our Area would be too weak to defend itself, so we only lost 1 (two if you count the weakened Bill) vampire. This was acceptable.

Waging a war we would all perish in was not. No matter whom it was for.

The world has a maddening habit of not caring about what is going around you. The bar was full; fangbangers threw themselves at the feet of vampires. Thalia threatened to eat them. Same old, same old. The phone rang.

"Fangtasia," I said, sounding bored even to my own ears.

"This is Sookie, Sookie Stackhouse," said the voice on the other end. Of course it was. "Is Eric there?"

"Sookie?" The telepath was never boring. How she got the king to allow her to call her sheriff I may never know. "You're still in Las Vegas?" At this point I wouldn't have put it past her to have overthrown the king. "Is everything all right?" We all knew the king might decide to ignore vampire custom and take her for his own.

"Pam, everything is fine -- I think. Look, I don't know if anyone is listening to this, I don't know if they'll keep letting me talk. Is Eric there?"

"Yes, Eric is here Sookie; I am taking the phone to him now." I moved through the club as quickly as I could and entered his office without knocking. He sat there with a Trueblood and his work. I handed him the phone without saying who it was; he could use the cheering up, and I wanted to see how shocked he was.

"This is Eric."

"Eric!" I could hear her shout over the phone.

"Sookie? How..." Eric was just as surprised as I was.

"There's a phone in my room," she explained, of course there was. This also meant that phone was being listened to. Sookie could not be allowed to explain her plans, not to us, not to anyone. She was smart enough to figure out how to call us with amnesia, she was smart enough to see through the rest.

"Yes, of course. Sookie is everything all right?" asked Eric.

"Eric, I think everything is fine," she explained. Apparently the king was trying to buy her affections and Quinn was still an ass. The king was taking a low pressure approach to her. Asking rather than telling, giving rather than forcing. Sookie would not be harmed as we worried, but she might decide to stay there of her own free will. Sookie had chosen Eric over Bill when Bill left her for Lorena -- could she chose a king over Eric if she thought herself abandoned and alone? When she finished explaining what had happened to her, Eric was silent. It wasn't good. The king was using her to further his business interests. If she proved particularly useful, he would never let her go, no matter how nicely she asked. If she wasn't useful, he might feel she failed to be useful to come back to her home -- this would anger him and he might let her go in the middle of Las Vegas. We may never find her again.

"Eric?" I heard Sookie ask, in confused silence.

"I am here Sookie. Keep up your good work for the king. I'm very proud of you. Keep in touch," Eric said, hanging up the phone. To say more would anger the king and give him reason to remove the phone from her room.

"She seems well," I said. If he wanted me to leave he would order me to do so.

"Get Felicia," Eric said, rising to his feet. "I'm going to feed."

He disappeared from the room and I followed him out to the bar. We weren't sure what Felicia would tell us without torture. But it seemed the fair thing to ask first.

Eric found me a little while later, his lips ringed with blood. "Felicia?"

"Waiting for you in your office."

"Thalia?"

"At her nest." We walked back toward his office. The activity in the bar was starting to wind down.

Felicia sat waiting for us on Eric's red sofa. Bad move, bartender, stand for your sheriff. I stood to one side of Eric, flanking him. Felicia looked terrified. Eric ignored her moving past her to his desk. He sat down and started going over some paperwork on his desk. I stood waiting, there was 55 minutes until sunrise, if I could feel the dawn call to me, surely Felicia would start to feel a pressing need to sleep.

"Victor sends you his thanks," Eric said to Felicia without looking up from his work.

Confusion and fear moved over Felicia's beautiful face. "For what master?"

Eric's eyebrows shot up. "Sookie, of course." If Eric was angry he didn't let on, his face was a mask of calm. "He wishes to reward you and asks that I allow you to leave my area so you can join him in New Orleans."

Felicia visibly relaxed. I would be finding a new bartender. Filling that position was getting harder and harder. The Stackhouse curse was alive and well. It bothered me that Victor used this very stupid vampire against us. He must know we would find out. But then, what would we do in response, nothing. Eric had spies in Victor's house, just as Victor apparently had spies in ours.

Eric didn't say anything for a few more minutes. He turned over the paper he was looking at, flipped it over and then gathered all his work up so it was all neatly together. I'd seen him do this line of questioning before: he was waiting for her to volunteer information.

She looked so confused, Eric went another direction. "So," he said smoothly, "how long have you and Victor had this arrangement?"

Since he wasn't screaming and hadn't made any threatening moves toward her, she must have felt safe enough to answer. "Since the take over."

Eric smiled at her, he didn't show any fang. He was playing this very cool. "Yes, very smart of you. I assume you'll want to go over to Victor now and swear fealty to him."

Felicia lowered her eyes. "Yes, if you'll let me go."

Oh, there was no question of that.

"And you must have told Victor Sookie was at this bar and something was wrong with her."

"Yes. He had told me to keep an eye on the little human, and tell him if there was anything wrong with her."

Eric went on questioning her about the depth of her involvement with the Las Vegas vamps, how much she had told them since last November and what exactly she had planned for when Eric found out (nothing apparently, she hadn't thought that far ahead).

"Sheriff," Felicia said humbly, "I am sorry if I did wrong."

Eric didn't say anything. Felicia, was by my estimate, on very dangerous ground.

Dawn was just moment away. Finally Eric said, "You are not welcome in this area, you will leave. You will not spend the day here at Fangtasia and if I wake to find you here you will not live to see another night. You have betrayed your Sheriff and if you live through the dawn it will be known that you betrayed your Sheriff and no area will welcome you."

Eric rose from his chair. We kept spare coffins here in case we were caught by the dawn.

"But the dawn is here," said Felicia, stupidly.

"I know," Eric said. His voice was ice. There would be no argument. She would go or he would tear her throat out and drink her blood.

The next night I noticed a pile of ashes by the dumpster. It would seem the bartender did not make it far.

* * *

A/N

Again, I own nothing. This is based of the works of C. Harris.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_Summary so far: Sookie is out on the road with no memory of how she got there. Eric takes Sookie home with him. The next night we learn Amelia accidently erased Sookie's memory. Bill comes over to teach Sookie how to control her "gift." Eric returns from Fangtasia and discovers having what you've always wanted isn't what it's cracked up to be._

_The next night Eric takes Sookie with him to Fangtasia. Victor Madden, figures out something is amiss with Miss Stackhouse. Madden tells Eric and Sookie to report to Las Vegas. The king finds out there is something very wrong with Sookie. He insists she stay with him in Las Vegas. The next morning the king has an entire wardrobe sent over for her to pick through._

_Before leaving for Las Vegas Eric sends Pam to get Amelia on the off chance that someone (Victor or the King) figures out Amelia cast the spell on Sookie and wants her out of the way. Pam grabs the witch and takes her to _Alcide's_ house. _

_Sookie's first night in Vegas she works for the king by listening in on some business associates. The king gets a little too close, and Sookie figures out how to call Eric. Though she's beginning to suspect if she's going to get out of this mess, she's going to have to find her own way out._

_Eric, Pam and Bill figure out that Felicia has been on the payroll of Victor since the takeover. Eric lets her die._

_This Chapter: Working for the king, kinda sucks._

_Next Chapter: Sookie is tired of not being her own boss and discovers the joys of leverage._

* * *

I woke up in the sun.

I shut my eyes against the bright light and took stock of the world I knew. Eric, seemingly could not help me. Nor could any of my "friends" here. They all worked for the king. Quinn might be fond of me but he seemed to have other issues. Ivan was the king's servitor. The king and Victor seemed more powerful than Eric.

That left me.

With that I tossed off the sheets and climbed out of bed. After washing my face and brushing my teeth I found breakfast laid out for me on the kitchen table.

I also found Quinn.

Clearly he'd let himself in, which I didn't like. I wondered how long he'd been waiting.

"Quinn," I said, making a beeline for the pot of coffee. I ran a sleepy hand through my hair, "How long have you been here?"

Quinn glanced at the clock, "For a little while."

I rifled through his mind. He'd been here about an hour, reading the paper and enjoying the quiet. He liked seeing me with bed head and sleepy-eyed in my tee shirt. I gave him a dirty look and went back into my bedroom, cup of coffee in hand. I pulled on a pair of yoga pants Lily had given me and a bra. My modesty secured I returned to breakfast and Quinn.

"So?" I asked as I sat at the kitchen table. I wondered if he'd comment on the wardrobe additions.

Quinn watched me over his cup of coffee; in the bright light of the morning sun his eyes were fully purple. They were beautiful. He wanted something but the snarl of his non-human mind didn't let me see it. I would have to wait, just like a normal person. In the meantime I reached out for the yogurt and granola.

When I started eating Quinn finally volunteered the information. "I'll need you later -- tonight."

"What for?" I asked between spoonfuls of yogurt. It was thick, creamy and delicious.

"Your skills," Quinn said in a low rumbling voice. He didn't seem to like the idea.

"You don't like the idea?" I finished the yogurt and picked up my coffee.

"No. I never wanted you here, not like this. And you shouldn't have to work for vampires. You don't owe them anything." But he did.

I knew he was telling me the truth. He wanted me here as his girlfriend. Not as the asset to a vampire. I turned that over in my head a few times and sipped my coffee. "So what's the plan for tonight?"

Quinn watched me closely, his eyes following my every move. I wasn't sure what he was looking at. "There are some people we think are cheating, but we're not sure how. They're Weres, so we can't just pick them up and have a vampire glamour them into telling us what we need to know."

"Why not?" I pushed my chair back to move it into a sunbeam. The warmth spread over my shoulders.

"You look like an angel comedown from heaven like that."

I laughed, "That's ridiculous."

"No really. The sun sets your hair on fire, it's like you have a halo."

"Since I have no memory, I'm just going to assume that's a good thing." I said with a smile.

"You didn't answer my question." I held the coffee cup between my hands, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my back and the cup of coffee in my hands.

Quinn leaned back a little in his seat. "We can't just pick them up because we don't know how many of them there are. Five, fine no problem. Forty? That's a massive fight."

"I can't read Weres as well as I can read humans."

"We discussed that with the king. He is of the opinion that there are at least some humans in their group, and what little you do get off the Weres should be enough."

Of course the king would know about this.

I ran my hand through my hair. "I don't suppose I have a choice?" I found I didn't mind using my telepathy, but I didn't like being forced to use it.

"Not hardly," Quinn said regretfully.

I was quiet for a while. "What do they have on you?"

"Enough," he said with a low rumble.

We were quite a pair, amnesiac telepath -- permanent guest of the king, and a were-tiger with a past. I laughed, "We're quite the pair." He didn't say anything. "Do you think they'll ever let me go home?" I leaned over and put my coffee cup down on the table and drew my knees to my chest.

"No," he said honestly. "I'm sorry Sookie, I never wanted you with Eric, but I never wanted you here -- like this, either." He ran a hand over his bald head. He was lying about something. I must have given him a funny look. "What's wrong?" he asked. I had to work on controlling my facial expressions.

I considered lying, I cast about for an easy story and nothing came. "Um, you know I don't have much control over my ability right now?"

He nodded.

"I know you're lying about something."

He frowned. In another situation I might be amused at how transparent most of his emotions were. "I told you how we met..." I nodded, remembering. "I was the judge at that contest. I liked you and wanted to find out more about you. At the time I was working for the Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Ann." I nodded, following the story so far. "When I went back to New Orleans the Queen knew somehow that we'd met. She wanted me to come back to Bon Temps. She wanted me to ask you to work for her at some big vampire conference."

I nodded again; I was beginning to understand the lie. "You still had some kind of weird relationship with Eric. But you agreed to work for the Queen and you agreed to go on a date with me." He laughed at that last bit. But then he frowned. "I never should have agreed to ask you to work for the Queen. Vampires always try to manipulate the situation to their favor. The Queen hoped you would want a relationship with me and it would be easy to control you through me." This sounded shockingly similar to what the Queen had planned for me and Bill. Was this why I was with Eric? I pushed that thought away for the moment.

"So you felt like you lied because you helped pull me into a situation with vampires."

Quinn nodded. "Vampires are like cancer, Sookie. Once they're in you, the only way to get them out is to keep cutting until there's nothing left." He looked away from me; I could feel his frustration at his situation roll off him and into me. "I have too many people depending on me: my sister -- my mother."

"So what happened?"

Quinn shifted uncomfortably. "Lots of stuff," he said with a wave of his massive hand. "Long and the short of it is I used to own part of an entertainment company. During the takeover I tried to warn you. I sent my sister to your house. When Victor found out, they wanted me to pay my debt to them right away -- I couldn't, so I lost my stake in the company. I still owed them money so I have to keep working for them."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. It would seem we were all stuck here.

"No." Quinn shrugged. "It was my own damn fault. I didn't really think it through." He smiled showing a bright row of white teeth. "I'm not really good at thinking these things through. I shouldn't have sent my sister. She didn't accomplish anything; if anything, it showed my hand to the vampires. And really, what would you have done? If Eric died? The Nevada vampires would have forced you to come here anyway -- for your own protection of course."

"How did they even know about me?"

"Rhodes. After the bombing at Rhodes you became pretty famous in our world. Once Felipe found out that you and I had dated, he had me tell him all about you. Maybe that's _why_ he didn't kill Eric. It's known you can't be glamoured and he'd prefer you a willing employee, than a telepath he can't trust."

I was beginning to understand what a dangerous liability my relationships were with vulnerable people. If I made friends with my guards Felipe could use them against me (which was why, I suspected he gave me nice ones). If I struck up a relationship with Quinn again, Felipe would use his leverage against Quinn against me. By giving me up, Eric made the only move he could to still protect me. If he offered to fight he'd have been killed or worse, the king would have kept him here, with me, and used him against me to get what he needed. If anything, here alone, I was far freer to operate and try to get myself out of this mess -- all because the king _needed_ me. I nodded thoughtfully at Quinn as I turned all this over in my head, it seemed like an important realization.

"You said the king asked you about me, what did you say?"

Quinn grinned. "I said you were very loyal -- to anyone who deserved it and if he wanted you to work for him then he had to be careful not to make you angry. I told him what happened at Rhodes when Andre tried to force you to bond with him. That up to that point, you were willing to stay there and work for the Queen and risk your own life for her's because you said you would and after, you threatened never to work for her again."

Quinn had lost me. "Who ... what, happened with Andre?"

"Andre was the Queen's -- child. Like Pam and Eric. Eric made Pam, Sophie, the Queen, made Andre; he was completely loyal to her. Anyway, at some point at Rhodes he got it into his head that he would be better off if you were bonded to him. You would be more trustworthy and more willing to work for his Queen."

Quinn paused significantly. "You didn't quite see it that way

"How would I have been bonded to him?"

"He would have forced you to drink his blood, enough of it to form a bond. Eric must have figured something was wrong, or he could feel you were in trouble and he came to help you. He persuaded Andre to let him bond with you."

"And that's why I can feel him?"

Quinn ran his hand over his bald head. "Honestly I have no idea what a blood bond feels like with a vampire, I'd assume so."

There really wasn't much to say to that. Though, I understood my relationship with Eric a little more. Whatever my normal-self's feelings toward Eric, I could understand he afforded some measure of safety in this world. Kinda, I was here after all, but then nothing "bad" had happened to me since I came here. I thought my tie to him meant that there was really only so much that could be done to me while he lived.

Quinn pushed back his chair. "I need to get some business done. I'll come by around 4:00. Wear something nice," he said with a grin.

Quinn showed himself out. I stayed in my sunbeam soaking in the sun.

I spent the rest of my day avoiding my guards. I watched TV. I showered. I sat on my patio and drank in the sun until my skin glowed. At some point I ordered food. When it arrived I saw Stephen for the first time that day. He brought in a tray of food, smiled at me and left.

Around three in the afternoon I started to get dressed. Quinn had said, "Wear something nice" but I had no idea what that meant. I decided a dress would be the most flexible, both dressy and casual and picked out a tweed pencil dress with three quarter sleeves and a boatneck collar. I pulled on black tights and a beaded choker with several strands. After fiddling with my hair a bit and repeating the makeup process Lily had done the night before, I figured I looked as good as I was going to look and sat down to wait.

I didn't wait long. Promptly at four Quinn knocked at my door. I knew it was him because I noticed every brain had a slightly different signature. I pulled on a pair of heels and headed toward the door.

Stephen and the other guard were gone. "Just you?" I asked.

"You'll be gone for a few hours...might as well give them the rest of the day off. I think I can handle you. You look lovely, by the way."

I'm sure I looked good enough to eat. I just smiled at him saying, "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

Quinn nodded and took my arm, guiding me to the elevators.

We rode the elevator down to the casino floor. "Sookie I know you've had some problems with your -- gift -- but you need to stay calm, no one can know you're doing this."

I opened my mouth to say something but we were already there. I felt my mouth go dry. I didn't know if I was ready for this. Even before the doors of the elevator opened, I could feel the weight of humanity on the other side. Once out on the floor a dizzying array of sights, sounds and thoughts assaulted my senses. People were everywhere, thoughts were everywhere. I took a deep breath and cautiously looked around. Quinn was right next to me, he nodded reassuringly.

I was keeping the thoughts of the room at bay; it was like the TV was on but not so loud I couldn't think. "Do you know who some of these people are?" It could take hours just walking around hoping to catch someone thinking, '_I'm cheating...I'm cheating, I want vampires to drain me dry because I'm cheating!'_

"I do," Quinn said with a low rumble as he directed me over toward a table with people playing cards at it. I wondered why Felipe didn't just use me to put all the other casinos out of business. But then, it would be pretty obvious what was happening by the end of the night.

Quinn brought me to a quieter area of the casino floor. The tables here were for "high rollers" he explained. The game was poker, buy in was 20,000 -- not that any of it meant something to me.

Quinn took my hand and drew me up to one of the tables. He sat down and motioned for me to stand beside him. _Stand next to me like you're here to give me luck. The guy we're interested in is sitting two seats to my left in the bolero tie._ It was clever of Quinn to communicate with me like that. I glanced two seats over to see a very large man, (both round and tall) sitting in front of a pile of chips. Quinn's eyes caught mine, he knew I understood him.

The game went on uneventfully. How people could sit around a table and play this for hours was beyond me, but they seemed entertained. A waitress buzzed past me and asked if I wanted anything to drink. Quinn spoke up. "She'll take a gin and tonic," he said, as he slipped her a ten and she tottered off on ridiculously high heels.

Before long it became clear what the man in the bolero tie was doing, he, along with a group of other people were playing a group strategy -- I didn't really understand the rules of the game but I knew what they were doing. The waitress came back with my drink and I leaned down to whisper in Quinn's ear. "You're right."

"How many," was his murmured reply.

"Can't be sure." I stood up again.

I cast about with my mind again, letting my shields fall, rummaging around freely in other people's minds. It was actually a lot of fun. After finishing my gin and tonic, and another 30 minutes, I understood how they were cheating. Also that they were using some element of magic -- that I didn't understand. I thought witches were a heap of trouble, and made a mental note to talk to Amelia about it if I ever got the chance.

Again I leaned down to whisper to Quinn, "It's that guy," and I nodded in his general direction, "four other Weres and two humans." I pointed them out discretely as I could, or at least I thought I did. The man in the bolero tie seemed to notice me for the first time.

He started to get up but as he did Quinn nodded to yet another large Were on the other end of the room. As he did the entire room became alive with black suits and huge Weres. Quinn stood up and started to walk over to our guy at the table. Everything else seemed to happen too fast to understand.

Realizing what I had done, the man launched himself at me. Quinn pushed me to the side; I tripped over my own feet and fell to the ground. I heard a thunk and realized, belatedly, that thunk, was my head hitting the floor. For a minute I lay there stunned. Behind me I could hear a struggle, guards flooded into the area. Quinn was shouting at the rest of the security guards to gather up the stragglers. Already several people had cut off the portion of the room and other guests were being directed to other parts of the casino.

I seemed to be in no danger. Quinn overpowered the man in the bolero tie. The other people he worked with were being held by other members of the security team. My head throbbed as I raised my hand to my head; I realized it was wet and sticky. When I pulled my hand away I realized I was bleeding. Quinn looked at the man with disgust and pushed him toward two guards, both almost as large as him.

He went down on one knee to check on me. "I'm fine," I said a little shakily. "Just shook up."

Quinn turned my head in his massive hands to take a look at the wound. "You've had worse." He grunted. "Can you stand?" He offered me his hand to help me to my feet.

I stood up a little too fast because the room spun for a moment and I almost went down again. Quinn steadied me and reached over to yank a cocktail napkin off one of the poker tables. He used it to blot my head. He was thinking the king was going to be pissed. "Do we have everyone?" he was talking to me but it all seemed fuzzy. I looked around at who they had in custody. Five Weres total and two humans. I nodded at Quinn.

Before we could draw too much attention, the entire security team ushered us off into the back corridors of the casino. We walked for what seemed like forever, down a hallway, through a security door -- up a flight of stairs. Unlike the casino floor which was all light and metal and glass the corridors were purely utilitarian, florescent light and linoleum floors. Quinn kept on checking on me, asking me if I was OK, if I wanted to be carried. I kept on saying no. My head was still bleeding and didn't show signs of stopping. Quinn explained scalps are "highly vascularized" and bleed a lot. I tried not to focus on why he would know that. After what seemed like forever our entire group: the two humans, five Weres (of "them") and our security team of ten Weres me and Quinn filed into an interrogation room.

There was an honest to goodness prison cell in there. The bars were silver. They threw everyone in there but the leader. The leader, the man with the bolero tie, the largest Were (other than Quinn) was grabbed by the back of the neck and roughly thrown into the interrogation room. I winced when I saw him hit the wall. They were not being gentle. Quinn nodded for me to follow him into the interrogation room.

The room was small, about 10 feet by 10 feet -- with three large Weres and me it seemed claustrophobic. In the middle of the room there was a stark metal table and two metal chairs sitting opposite each-other. The man in the bolero tie was forced to sit in one chair and Quinn directed me to sit in the other. Once I was seated, he took up a position standing behind me.

I tried to shut the rest out. I could feel the terror from the Weres we caught; the humans were drunk on fear. I looked down at my shoes holding the cocktail napkin soaked with my own blood to my head hoping it would stop bleeding, and wishing myself far away from this room.

The "interrogation" was brutal. Quinn stood silently behind me as one of his coworkers beat the hell out of the guy sitting a few feet in front of me and I watched. They used me as a lie detector. I couldn't read his mind flat out (though I noticed fear concentrated his mind and made it easier to read in a way) but that I could tell if he was being deceptive or truthful. For every question asked the interrogator had me nod my head yes or no.

Walter, the big Were leading the interrogation, riffled through (as it turns out his name was Tim) Tim's pockets, pulling out his wallet. "Tim Cosgrove, 184 West Orange St. This a picture of your wife and kids Tim? They're real cute...." I nodded, that was his real name, those where his kids and he desperately wanted to go home to them. "How many people do you have working for you, Tim?"

"Why should I do your job for you?" He lifted his chin defiantly. The trickle of blood coming out of his mouth undercut his position. I didn't look at him again. My head pounded. My hands twisted in my lap and I tried to keep my eyes down at the floor. How long could this last? I dabbed at my head again; it was still bleeding.

"Tiiiiiiiiiim. You can make this easy or hard," Walter taunted. "And we'll know if you're lying." He nodded at me. "Who do you work for?"

The answer was always the same: It was just this small crew, no one else.

He was lying, of course. I silently prayed he would stop lying. Finally, I just broke down and looked at Tim, "Please stop," I begged. "You have to tell them the truth; I know when you're lying."

Tim gathered himself up and took all of his anger, all of his fear and threw them at me. "Fuck you," he spit. Not that I could really blame him. But by this point his jaw seemed to be broken and it came out all garbled. He was saying, "How can you work for these things?" I wanted to say I was sorry, that I didn't have a choice beg his forgiveness.

Walter gave Tim a long appraising look and thought about what to do next. He took out two pairs of handcuffs and secured one to each of Tim's wrists. The other end of the handcuffs he secured to the metal chair Tim was sitting in. I didn't like where this was going.

"I suggest," Walter said as his fist slammed into Tim's side "that you start talking, before there isn't enough of you left for your wife to identify."

The man knew he was dead. But he didn't want to talk. I squeezed my eyes shut. I heard the sound of Walter's fist making contact with Tim's kidney -- again. Tim howled in pain. And I burst into tears. I couldn't watch this. "Please let me leave Quinn," I begged. "I can't watch this." I was sobbing and I was not the person about to die. I tried to get up by Quinn pushed me back down.

Walter ignored me, "Maybe you'll wait for the vampires to get here, Tim. I'm sure they could use a full meal. Maybe they'll drain you dry, turn you and force you to tell them everything anyway. You know Weres can't change once they've been turned. . ."

I heard the door open behind us and the empty void of a vampire mind walk into the room. Everything in the room froze. It was the king. His eyes went from me, to Quinn, to my bloody cocktail napkin, to the interrogation scene before us. "Sookie, come with me," he said quietly.

I gave a last glance to Tim, slumped down onto the metal table, and let out a sob, then I ran out of the room with Quinn right on my heels.

The interrogation seemed to be over, for now anyway. Felipe emerged and gave Quinn a hard look. "Why has she been injured?" Ignoring my sobs, Felipe took my hand and pulled me toward him. I felt his cold hands against my cheeks as he tilted my head to the side to look at the cut in my scalp. I could see a hint of his fangs and started to pull away.

"He went after her," Quinn nodded to Tim, "I pushed her out of the way and she hit her head." Quinn was keeping his voice carefully level. His confidence, normally so cool and collected had left him; his mind was in turmoil.

And then, before I knew what he was doing, the king was licking my head. I didn't know what to do. Lap, lap, lap. I kept on trying to pull away but he had one of his hand's on my wrist and I couldn't move far. I just had to submit to the indignity of having my head licked by a vampire. Of all the freaky stuff that had happened in the past week -- this had to top them all.

Quinn looked -- helpless. He felt helpless too, he'd hoped he'd be able to prevent the king from having my blood and he'd failed. I would have sympathized but it was my head being licked. Not to mention the man one room over was looking death in the eye. Satisfied at his work, the king let me go. "You'll want to wash your hair so the blood doesn't stick to it, but it should heal nicely now." Oh, I'd be washing my hair all right.

"I'm sorry you had to see this Sookie; this is not how we like to do things." I nodded dumbly. At some point in the licking process I'd stopped crying. I knew darn well this was the way they did things; he just didn't want me to see it. You don't have an interrogation room and a prison with silver bars if this wasn't the way you did things.

"What are you going to do to them?" I tried to force calm into my voice, but it came out with a decided squeak.

"They'll face justice."

Not looking like that, they wouldn't. So I guessed he meant, his justice. Maybe to be king, one must be willing to dispense one's own justice.

"Please don't kill them," I begged. I couldn't watch any more of this and I couldn't have this on my head. "I can't work for you if you kill them. I won't be honest."

"Sookie," Quinn rumbled in a dangerous tone. He was warning me away from this.

"Please. Felipe. I would make being here unbearable," I sobbed.

"Take her to her room," Felipe said firmly, ignoring my pleas. I'd been dismissed.

As we started to leave, the king said, "Quinn after you've escorted Miss Stackhouse to her room return here."

I could feel Quinn's mind flinch from the request. Either he was going to be punished for letting me be hurt or he was going to "help" in the interrogation; he didn't relish the idea of either.

We walked through the halls silently. Finally at the elevator I asked, "Are you in a lot of trouble?"

"No. I shouldn't have let you get hurt -- but it should be fine."

"What will happen to them?"

Quinn just shrugged.

We didn't say anything else.

Ivan and Christopher were waiting for me at my door. They let me into my room and Quinn left me. I tore off my clothing, dumped it on the floor and sat in the shower for the next hour, sobbing into the hot water.

In the next few days I just settled into a routine of getting up, eating, sleeping and sitting on my patio looking at the sun. I didn't leave my room, I didn't want to. My guards tried talking to me but I didn't engage them, I didn't try to converse, I didn't do much of anything. I didn't call Eric and he didn't try (as far as I knew) to contact me. I found the idea of this being my life -- for the rest of my life depressing. There had to be more.

On the fifth day of this routine I stood out in the darkness of the patio (or as much darkness as one can get in Las Vegas) looked up at the night sky. I couldn't see many stars and the moon was up and cast a pale glow down on the valley. I leaned against the railing looking down at the people below.

"It's strange for us you know." I heard the king's voice behind me and shuddered at the sound.

I forced myself to turn around slowly. There was Felipe, standing in the doorway to the patio, silhouetted against the lights in the room behind him. "What is?" Not for the first time, I found myself thinking I wasn't exactly dressed for an audience with him. Yoga pants and a tee shirt just didn't cut it, in my opinion. At least I had on a bra, there was that.

"This: being open with humans. For many thousands of years we have had a relationship with humans not unlike a farmer has with sheep."

"I don't understand what you're talking about, I'm sorry." I lowered my eyes rather than look at him. I was tired of not understanding.

Slowly, he walked over to my side. It must be casual night at the casino since he was just wearing a sweater, slacks, loafers and black leather jacket.

"Don't do that," he said rebukingly, closing the distance between us.

"Do what?"

"_Try_ to look demure. You are many things Sookie, but demure and diffident aren't among them." He let the tone of his voice soften. "And to answer your question, I mean, vampires have kept themselves separate from humans for thousands of years, we have lived by feeding off of you and hiding. And now, we live among you, with you, some of us are even marrying you -- openly."

"That bothers you?" I would back up but I was already up against the railing.

"No." He sounded quiet honest. "We adapt or die."

I was trying to understand what this line of thought had to do with me. Was he saying I should get used to being here? That this was my new life and I might as well enjoy it and move on? Vampire justice was brutal and swift and they needed to change that? "Am I going to spend the rest of my life here?" I said, abruptly.

Felipe mirrored my lean against the railing of the patio. "That depends," he said. Felipe had a rich accent and although he'd separated me from Eric and was now keeping me prisoner in his casino while looking fabulous and acting kind -- I had to admit, it was fun to listen to.

"On?"

"Eric." Felipe was watching me so intently I started to feel self conscious. Rather than try to win a staring match with a vampire I looked away and down to the streets below.

"As we speak, Sookie, I'm sure your Eric is trying to maneuver me into a position of returning you home. Of course I am trying to make sure that does not happen."

I felt tears well in my eyes and I willed them away. "But I don't want to be here." I may have been mistaken but I thought I heard him sigh.

"_Cosita,_ we live life as we can, not as we would."

"If Eric can't maneuver me away, you're saying, he'll just leave me here?" I could hear the slightly hysterical edge to my voice, I was sure a vampire could hear it too. The last couple of days I'd told myself this was temporary, I would get my memory back, Eric would come for me or some combination of the two.

The king watched me for a while before speaking and then he seemed to choose his words carefully. "I don't want to be cruel, Sookie. Most of us have had human companions at some point in our undead existence. Many of us have fallen in love with these humans. Eric is over a thousand years old, you are 27. Even if you were with him now, even assuming he loved you -- you would always have grown old and died. Short of turning you, the time he would have spent with you in his vampire existence would have been very brief. That is the way of things. Perhaps that time came sooner for him than he expected."

I looked out over the balcony, hugging myself against the cold. Below us I could see people walking down the strip, enjoying the night. "You're not what I expected."

"How did you expect me?" He sounded curious.

I thought for a minute. "Mean?" I said, finally. I had just seen his Weres beat a confession out of someone, what made me different from the man they beat unconscious? Very little, only that I was valuable to them.

He chortled a little.

I looked at him, frowning. I didn't like being laughed at. "What's so funny?" I asked defensively.

"What reason would I have to be mean to you? I wanted you here. You are here and you will work for me when I ask."

"I guess I thought you'd bully me. Hurt me -- scare me."

He looked a little cross. "Has someone said something to you since you've been here?"

"Um, not really." I sounded a little sullen. No one had been mean to me, but I was essentially a prisoner. I might not understand much of the world around me, but I could understand that.

"Sookie, I am very powerful. I have lived for the better part of a millennium. I have not been "mean" as you say, or cruel because there is no point to it. It would terrify you. It would destroy you. There are people to whom I must be cruel. There are people who need discipline -- but there is no reason to be cruel to you. It would accomplish nothing other than breaking you."

I didn't say anything for a while. The wind was picking up; I wanted to go inside where it would be warm.

"Sookie, if I were mean to you or hurt you, what would you do?"

"I'd be even more afraid than I am now."

"You shouldn't fear me. But you would hate me, you would attack my guards trying to escape, you might even hurt yourself."

"And you don't think I'd do that now?"

"No," he said definitely.

After a long pause he started again, "You're too much of a survivor to hurt yourself and you're too innately good of a person to hurt someone who has never hurt you. If you had to, you would hesitate and that moment of hesitation would cost you your freedom, the people working for me are very good at what they do."

"So being nice to me is just another way to get me to obey?"

"That's one way of putting it," he said sliding off his leather jacket and draping it over my shoulders. The king had noticed my skin was covered in goosebumps. "Or you can believe that you are valuable to me, I want you to be safe. I'd prefer you be happy and that eventually, I'd like you to stay here of your own free will. I am sorry you saw what you did in that interrogation, it won't happen again."

The jacket was warm, impossibly soft and lined with silk. It had a faint dry smell about it -- a smell I'd learned to associate with vampires. Since the king was feeling so chatty I decided to press my luck, "How can I stay here of my own free will if you don't give me a choice."

"You're in no position to be making choices right now," he said firmly. "When your memory comes back, or when you've had enough experiences to make decisions off what you know -- you can decide then."

That _sounded_ reasonable. "What happened to them?"

"We let them go," he said simply. Alive or dead, off a cliff, he didn't say.

"I need to ask a favor."

The idea seemed to amuse him. "Go on," he said amiably. I wanted to know just how valuable I was to him.

"When I catch cheaters for you...you can't hurt them. I want you to turn over to the police."

The king went very still. I took this as a cue to press my case.

"Your majesty, I can't have their deaths on my conscious. I can't help you if I think everyone I point out to you will wind up dead."

The king seemed to consider this. "Very well. From now on we'll turn them over to the police." That was it? Where was the catch?

"Did I know you at all, before this?" I asked, changing the subject.

"No, we met only once." You saved my life, and the life of your Sheriff."

"How'd I do that?"

"You ran your car over a gigantic vampire intent on killing us." His face was completely blank; I couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

I laughed, that couldn't possibly be true. Could it? "Really?"

"Indeed," the king said with a laugh. "As usual Sookie, you were full of surprises. If you will excuse me, I have business to attend to." Cheaters to catch and kill, I added mentally. He pushed off the railing and began to walk toward the door. I followed after him, slipping off his jacket and draping it over my arm.

When we got to the door I handed it to him. "Thanks for coming by," I said. "It's lonely up here. And thank you for not killing those people," I finished lamely, I wasn't sure in what capacity they'd been "let go."

He leaned in to kiss me on my cheek. "You are welcome, Sookie, you should feel free to leave your room whenever you want. And you should feel free to ask me for anything."

Like my freedom -- I could be sure of that.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_Summary thus far: Sookie is out on the road with no memory of how she got there. Eric takes Sookie home with him. The next night we learn Amelia accidently erased Sookie's memory. Bill comes over to teach Sookie how to control her "gift." Eric returns from Fangtasia and discovers having what you've always wanted isn't what it's cracked up to be._

 _The next night Eric takes Sookie with him to Fangtasia. Victor Madden, figures out something is amiss with Miss Stackhouse. Madden tells Eric and Sookie to report to Las Vegas. The king finds out there is something very wrong with Sookie. He insists she stay with him in Las Vegas. The next morning the king has an entire wardrobe sent over for her to pick through. _

_Before leaving for Las Vegas Eric sends Pam to get Amelia on the off chance that someone (Victor or the King) figures out Amelia cast the spell on Sookie and wants her out of the way. Pam grabs the witch and takes her to _Alcide's_ house. _

_Sookie's first night in Vegas she works for the king by listening in on some business associates. The king gets a little too close, and Sookie figures out how to call Eric, though she's beginning to suspect if she's going to get out of this mess, she's going to have to find her own way out._

_Eric, Pam and Bill figure out that Felicia has been on the payroll of Victor since the takeover. Eric lets her die. Back in Vegas, Sookie continues to work for the king, she watches a horrible interrogation and the king is able to get a taste of her blood. She retreats to her room and refuses to leave, finally the king visits her - she gets him to promise he won't kill the people she finds for him using her ability and they seem to come to an understanding._

_This Chapter: Leverage isn't just for Syracuse!_

_ ...._

I shut the door behind Felipe and leaned my back against it.

Felipe was right about one thing, I shouldn't be afraid of him, he needed me. More than I needed him. At the end of the day he was protecting me from -- him (and others like him). Sure I could be beaten into submission, but if I was, no one could trust me and I would sure not to be valuable. In my current state they couldn't even use anyone against me. Who was Eric to me right now? A stranger. Who was Quinn? No one. I guessed no one knew what would happen to my "gift" if I was turned into a vampire and it seemed to me that was the only way to really secure my loyalty.

I wasn't sure what the bond Eric and I shared really meant, but I could figure that out later. In the mean time I wanted out, I wanted to go "home." Well, I wanted out of the casino, I could figure out where home was later. It occurred to me that I probably had a job in my normal life, and a place I needed to take care of -- at least bills to pay. Chewing my lip somewhat thoughtfully I went over to the phone.A voice on the other end asked "Yes, Miss Stackhouse?"

"Good evening," I said smoothly. "Would you connect me with Fangtasia in Louisiana?"

"Of course, one minute please." There was silence for a moment and then I heard the phone ring.

"Fangtasia, the bar with a bite," said a very bored voice on the other end. _Pam_.

"Pam, this is Sookie."

"Sookie. We haven't heard from you in a while."

"Um, could you put me through to Eric? I have a few questions for him."

"Hang on a second." I could hear her move through the crowd by the mummer of conversations. "How is Las Vegas?" Pam asked conversationally.

I thought about saying what I'd seen; but I thought that a dangerous move. It might make Eric angry and he might do something to antagonize the king and I needed the ability to move about freely. "Everything is fine Pam. How are things on your end?" I asked woodenly.

"Oh fine. Here is Eric," and she was gone.

"This is Eric."

"Eric. This is Sookie."

Silence on the other end. "Sookie what can I do for you," he said playing it cool.

"I need a favor."

"It is not something the king can take care of?"

I laughed at the idea. "I'm sure he could...but I'd rather be in as little debt to the king as possible." It was bad enough he'd paid tens of thousands of dollars for my clothing. I didn't want to think about what the jewelry cost. I didn't want to know if the clothing was a gift or something to be paid for eventually.

"Go on."

"I have a home, right?"

"Yes, in Bon Temps, it's in the north of the state." I made a mental note to look it up on a map.

"Is there anyone looking after it?"

"Yes, your friend Sam and Bill have been by. Everything is fine there."

"Aren't there bills or something?"

"I have taken care of them." I didn't like the idea of Eric paying my bills but at the moment I didn't seem to have any means of taking care of it myself.

"Eric?" I asked.

"Yes, Sookie." His voice was carefully neutral.

I thought about what to say. I wanted to know if there was something in particular I could use against the king, but I couldn't think of how to say that over the phone in a way that wouldn't be understood by someone listening in. I wanted to tell him I wasn't mad I was stuck here, that I understood there weren't many options in this world -- I didn't need to look any further than Quinn to understand that. I settled on, "Would it be inappropriate to ask the king to pay me for the work I do here?"

Eric chortled. "No, I will bring it up with him the next phone conference."

"You conference with him?"

"Yes, all the sheriffs do. Once a week. It lets us know how all the areas are doing, what problems we should be looking out for. They're a very forward thinking regime."

I tucked that thought away for further consideration.

"Thanks Eric, I'll talk to you soon." I hung up the phone without further pleasantry.

Looking around the room I thought about what I wanted to do next. I strummed my fingers on the kitchen counter. The room was neat as a pin. Nothing was out of place. In my five days of self imposed exile a housekeeper had come in every day to straighten up. Not even dust lingered in the parts of the room I didn't use.

Decision made, I poked my head out the door. Christopher and Ivan, my silent sentinels, stood waiting. "Good evening," I said. Christopher nodded at me and Ivan smiled.

"Good evening Sookie, haven't seen you in a while." He winked at me.

"Hey Ivan, I want to go for walk -- I'm just going to change first."

"Sure thing Sookie, we going anywhere particular?"

His invitation of himself did not go unnoticed by me, but I smiled anyway. "Nope, just a walk," I said cheerily. "Thought I'd get to know the area."

Moments later I'd changed out of my yoga pants and tee shirt and pulled on a pair of comfortable jeans and a ruby red sweater. The king had a box full of jewelry delivered to my room at some point. From this box I fished out a pair of earrings with large red stones and white metal. Like everything else he'd given me, they seemed expensive for the sake of being expensive; but they were pretty.

I wanted Felipe to see me wearing what he'd given me, accepting the life he'd laid out before me. I wanted his trust. Wardrobe change complete, I went out to join Ivan and Christopher.

"Where are we going?" Ivan asked as we walked toward the elevators.

"Just a walk," I said, waiting for him to use the key card and send us on our way.

We ended up on the casino floor. I could feel thousands of minds press up against mine. Taking a deep breath, I pushed them away. Placing them somewhere in the back of my head, buzzing like a TV one-room-over. Until that moment I'd been so sure of myself, then seeing all those people, the bright lights, the sounds, I faltered. I didn't know the way to go. I could feel Ivan at my side. He put a gentle hand on my elbow and led me through the crowd. "This way," he said lightly, ignoring my hesitation.

He led me through the room. Past stores -- I looked over to see Lily's boutique and made a note of where it was. We went past desert gardens and elaborate waterfalls and foundations. Everything was excessive, overdone -- garish, even.

After an hour of wandering around, we ended up the employee's lounge in the back. It was a lot like the back corridors of the casino. Plain and simple. People were in the middle of coming and going from their shifts. Ivan leaned in to say something. "Ok, not part of the standard tour," he said with a smile. "I have to ask one of my coworkers something," he said, leaving me with Christopher -- who, of course, had nothing to say.

I watched the room while I waited for Ivan to come back. Quinn was there with his friends; he laughed and waved when he saw me. This was his life, I reflected, surrounded by enemies and friends. A prisoner of his own making. Too valuable to kill outright, not so valuable to dictate his own terms.

Ivan ambled back over to me with Quinn on his heels. "Sookie," Quinn started. I felt a brief flash of anger. He'd left me in my room to stew over what happened with that man. He left me knowing how upset I was, he didn't come back. Of course, I didn't know if he could come back either. My anger would just have to wait.

"Quinn," I said. I didn't have a lot to say to him that I wanted other people to overhear and be a part of.

Ivan grinned at me, clearly amused at the conversation or lack of it.

Quinn gave a dark look to the two vampires, waiting for them to leave but they never did. "I'll come see you later," he said, finally and walked off through the crowed of employees. He was so tall, he easily dominated the room, people moved if not scurried out of the way.

"I have something I want to show you," Ivan said happily.

"Oh?" I pulled a hand through my hair nervously.

"Yes, don't get any ideas. You'll like it." He led the way out of the lounge and back into the main casino.

Eventually we ended up at what I assumed was a chapel. When I stepped inside I gasped at the beauty. Maybe it was because I had no memory of any other church, maybe I was feeling particularly emotional, as I walked inside I saw huge stained glass windows that bathed the room in jewel tones. This seemed wrong to me, it was night. How was daylight streamed in through the windows? Ivan stood at the main entrance, watching me take in the room. I wandered over to the largest window and realized when this place was built they must have put lights behind the windows so it would seem forever daylight in there. Interesting choice for creatures condemned to the night.

Above me was an impossibly high vaulted ceiling. The grey stone was heavy with carving and a choir was practicing. I didn't understand the words, it was more like a wall of wonderful sound, and it surrounded the room and brought it to a calm center. Drawn to the music, I wandered over to the center of the room and stood in rapt attention. I don't know how long I stood there before Ivan spoke up.

"Felipe had this brought here. From Spain -- I guess they finished building it the year he was born. He was married here. Buried here. I think his children were christened here. Sometime in the 1950's an earthquake destroyed it, he bought the stones and when this casino was built he had them brought here and assembled."

"Wow." I lay a reverent hand on the gray stones.

I took a few hesitant steps forward and sat down in one of the pews. Outside of the presence of Eric, I had not known such peace in the past week. Hours might have passed before the choir director came over.

"It's rare to see such a young woman so fascinated by medieval music," he said. The choir director was an older man with a bald head and a bit of a paunch. He was wearing brown slacks and a black shirt with a collar. He looked exactly like what I would expect a choir director to look like. His eyes were gray and nearly colorless, he had a friendly smile.

"Felipe brings us over every year," he said. "He's a great patron of choral music."

"Huh," I said, struck dumb by all this information. "What is your choir singing?"

"O vos imitatores excelse, by Hildegard Of Bingen." We sat in silence as the pure music filled the room. "It's very old," he offered. "I like to try to play things even older than Felipe is."

He said Felipe's name so casually I had to assume they were friends. I lowered my shields and listened in on what he was thinking. He thought I was very pretty if a little dumb, he thought Felipe would like the concert he was going to put on, and he was grateful to his patron.

The choirmaster gave me an indulgent smile as he left me to luxuriate in the warmth of the music all around me.

After a little while Ivan asked, "Want to see his tomb?"

I didn't understand what he was saying. "Tomb?"

"Yea...Felipe was 'buried' in here when he 'died' the first time." Ivan held up air quotes for 'buried' and 'died.' He had a charming smile too, under his wild beard and bright eyes.

Ivan waved me on as he walked up to the front of the church. I followed him through the chapel to the altar. There before the altar, worn with age, the writing faint, was a great flagstone. The writing was in a different language but I could pick out the name: _Felip__. _It was oddly touching that a vampire, casino owner, king of three states, all around badass vampire, would import the church he was baptized, married, and buried in_. _I crouched down to run my fingertips over the etching on the stone.

"What does it say?"

Ivan squinted at the etching, it had to be for show, this wasn't the first time he'd seen this stone. "It reads, _Felip, preserver of the true God. In the year of our Lord: 1137."_

That was a long time to watch the world and figure out how it worked. I sat in silence my hand still on the stone.

Ivan cleared his throat behind me. He shrugged, "Felipe told me once, humans are like leaves on a tree, they fall and are soon forgotten."

"But I guess you remember?" I said, looking at him, then back down at the worn stones my hair falling into my face.

"We do," Ivan said, quietly.

----

The next morning I made a decision.

With Stephen hot on my heels (he was distracted with family problems back at home. Their first born didn't have the Were gene and was the first child she said she had; and a bunch of stuff I didn't understand) I went to go find Lily. I found Lily in her boutique, her hair was up in a tight chignon, she had on a dark green tank dress and her eyes sparkled when she saw me.

"Sookie," she said warmly, "how nice to see you." Her smile was radiant.

I did look pretty lovely; I'd picked out her favorite clothing, a soft suede skirt with a hand tooled leather belt detail. It fell to just below my knees and swished pleasantly as I walked, I wore a black sweater and boots. I wore all of it to please her. I wanted her to let me work for her.

"I was hoping to find you here I confessed." Stephen hovered somewhere nearby. "I was wondering if you'd be willing to let me work here with you."

Lily smiled again. "Of course Sookie."

"It's just that it gets so boring up where I live."I seemed to have lost her at that point. She saw how Felipe was willing to take care of me; she didn't doubt that he would give me anything I wanted if I just asked for it. She wondered why I would I want to work. She'd also, heard, to my great dismay, that I was present when the vampires caught up with those cheating Weres. I fished around to see if I could hear what happened to them, she didn't know.

"Of course. I don't think Felipe would mind, and I think you'd fit in real well."

And that was that. Lily was an easy lady to work for. I had to block out her thoughts but I found with each passing day it got easier and easier. Each day I went down (usually with Stephen) to work in the little clothing boutique. Each day I amazed people with my ability to give them exactly what they wanted. Sales went up; even the king came to tell me I was doing a ridiculously good job (apparently he owned 51% interest in the store, so he liked it when profits went up).

Felipe still had me use my "gift" to read people. Bankers, cheaters, he even had me read a woman he was seeing socially. He wanted to be sure she wasn't an agent of the Fellowship of the Sun.

But other than that everyone left me alone. Quinn only came to see me once. He felt terribly guilty that he wasn't able to do more for me that night I had to watch Tim get tortured. He felt bad he couldn't get me out of here, so he stayed away. I called Eric from time to time. He was able to tell me that things were fine on his end. I think he was also telling me that Amelia was also OK and her mentor had returned and they were working on the spell -- but it was so veiled I couldn't be sure what he was saying.

Before I knew it, 3 weeks passed. Then one morning when I was working with Lily, I excused myself to use the bathroom. Stephen was on the phone with this wife, so he didn't budge when I left the store to go to the bathroom.

As I walked down a hallway, I felt the buzz of two Were brains, and because I was bored, I cast out my mental net to hear what was going on. What I heard made the bile rise in my throat.

They were plotting the king's final death.

I froze and tried to press myself up against the wall, holding my breath, willing my heart to beat less (it didn't). I could hear the blood in my ears, pounding. I tried counting backwards from ten to one, to focus my mind. They were speaking too softly for me to hear them, but I didn't need my ears.

What kind of idiots would plot to get rid of the king in his own casino? The kind of idiots who work in security, they didn't have to worry about being overheard, they did the hearing. The Weres had split down two lines. One group was for the current packleader of Las Vegas who swore allegiance to Felipe and another for a new wolf who had just shown up on the scene. He thought that Weres should run the city not vampires.

My legs were falling asleep; shifting my body would give my position away. If they came over my way at all, the game was up. Where was Stephen? What if he was in on this? Oh, hell. Would he fight to protect me or would he join up with the other Weres? Why hadn't I heard any of this from him? These were all very good questions, but I needed to focus.

The plan was set for the next week. Most of the sheriffs from Felipe's other states would be here. Wait, would that mean Eric would be there? Focus Sookie. The Weres planned to wipe out the vampires in the daytime, leaving a power vacuum as vampires from other states stepped in to fill it. The Las Vegas pack would take over the city.

It was a brutal, if effective plan. The meeting seemed to be wrapping up. I prayed Stephen did not decide to come looking for me now. I prayed the two Weres would not walk in my direction.

My luck held out. They went out the way they came in.

Once they'd gone I stayed there for what seemed like an eternity. I couldn't believe my foolish luck. Of all the hallways to wander down in search of a bathroom, of all the guards to get. I found the one hallway that had people thinking something I could use to get myself out of here. Of all the guards to get, I got one with marital problems, who was too distracted to care enough to follow me to the bathroom.

My thoughts froze. What if it was a trap? What if there was no plot, what if someone was doing this for my benefit to get me someplace else, into a deeper mess?

Only after I was sure they were gone did I leave my spot and make my way back to Lily. Stephen was still on the phone with his wife, arguing over how many times his mother had visited them in the past 6 months. The rest of the afternoon moved at a snail's pace. I'd forgotten to pee.

Around five, I asked Stephen to take me back to my room. I needed to think. I needed to pee. I needed things.

I ended up pacing in my room until sundown. On the other side of the door, I could hear the changing of the guard. Ivan and Stephen exchanged pleasantries. Christopher -- as expected, said nothing.

I had two choices: believe this was a trap -- and say nothing. Or act on the information given to me and force the king to let me go if he wanted to live. This plan depended on my ability to keep Felipe and other vampires out of my mind. If he could force me to tell him what I knew, without securing anything in return, I was in a bad spot. I looked disloyal and weak. This plan depended on just how valuable he really thought I was. I'm sure he could beat the information out of me.

Crap.

.....

I made my decision.

Poking my head outside of my door, I looked for Ivan. "I need to see the king," I said, hoping I didn't sound as stressed as I was. I'd considered letting the coup go through, and then I thought, what if the new people were even worse. It never occurred to me that the Weres would stay in power. The vampires were too brutal, too old; they'd seen too much to lose out to a group of thugs in leather.

All I could hope was that Felipe would be grateful enough to let me go back to Eric (I thought this would be unlikely, if anything it would only bind me closer to him).

"What's wrong Sookie?" Ivan asked.

I grinned at him, "I just need to talk to him Ivan."

He thought for a moment, glanced at Christopher and back at me.

"Come with me."

In seconds I was back on the top floor where they'd taken Eric from me. Ivan didn't step off the elevator; he nodded for me to go forward. I stepped out into the room. The elevator door closed behind me. I felt nauseous for a moment but steeled myself for the rest. This was no time to turn into a mass of wailing woman.

The king sat on his big leather sofa, looking out at his domain.

"Ah, Sookie. How nice of you to join me," he said snapping out of motionlessness. But his face settled into grim lines when he saw the look on my face. It told him I hadn't come to discuss the latest spa treatment his hotel was offering.

"Are we alone?" I closed my eyes for a moment casting out my mind to listen for other thought signatures and voids. Other than Felipe there were no other bodies in the room, I could feel nothing.

"Yes," Felipe said, rising to his feet. He understood something was very wrong. "There are no security cameras here, for obvious reasons."

I wanted to ask about bugs, and listening devices, but I wasn't sure what kind of time we had. "They're planning to overthrow you," I said in a rush.

"Who?"

I stood back a little, this was my once chance. This is what they called leverage and I would not give it up so easily. "No. I'll only tell you if you give me something I want."

The king smiled a little but he was up and towering over me in a flash. Taking both my arms in his hands he pulled me against him. "That," he paused for dramatic effect, "is a very dangerous game to play with a vampire."

---

_Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the US. I have a fair number of readers who are not from the US -- so they might not care. Basically, it's a holiday dedicated to food. This makes it my favorite holiday. _

_Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because, at least in my family -- all we do is sit around and spend time with members of the family we like. I get to see my sister, her kids and her wonderful husband. I get to make a lavish dinner, and we all sit around drinking pinot noir and falling asleep around the fireplace (the men watch football, the women drink) the dishes have been left to "soak."_

_If you're not an American I highly recommend finding one and joining them for a Thanksgiving feast (I would suggest my place but I'm already feeding 10 people)._

_I wanted to put up a note thanking all my readers for their reviews, their favorites, and the time they've taken to read my little tale. I've had a wonderful time writing this story for you (with you). Additionally, I wanted to take the time to say how thankful I am for all the wonderful things in my life. I have a wonderful husband, a good dog and a sister with few failings (no really, she's a good sister. I could not ask for a better one. She's ballsy and honest) and despite my many failings and failures they love me all the same._

_When I sit down for dinner tomorrow I will be surrounded by friends and people I love; and while I do not believe in God, I know enough to know that I am blessed. I am a fortunate person to have such people in my life, to be loved as I am loved._

_To the people reading this wishing for things to be different in their lives -- I hope you do those different things. Go live in a foreign country (if you have means) tell that special someone you love them, take the class you always wanted to take. Love that person you're afraid of loving. More mundanely, publish the damn fanfic you've always wanted to publish. What ever it is, I'm rooting for you. _

_I honestly believe this is our one chance. Never live with regrets. Enjoy._

_All my love,_

_ADT_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

_Summary thus far: Sookie is out on the road with no memory of how she got there. Eric takes Sookie home with him. The next night we learn Amelia accidently erased Sookie's memory. Bill comes over to teach Sookie how to control her "gift." Eric returns from Fangtasia and discovers having what you've always wanted isn't what it's cracked up to be._

_The next night Eric takes Sookie with him to Fangtasia. Victor Madden, figures out something is amiss with Miss Stackhouse. Madden tells Eric and Sookie to report to Las Vegas. The king finds out there is something very wrong with Sookie. He insists she stay with him in Las Vegas. The next morning the king has an entire wardrobe sent over for her to pick through._

_Before leaving for Las Vegas Eric sends Pam to get Amelia on the off chance that someone (Victor or the King) figures out Amelia cast the spell on Sookie and wants her out of the way. Pam grabs the witch and takes her to _Alcide's_ house._

_Sookie's first night in Vegas she works for the king by listening in on some business associates. The king gets a little too close, and Sookie figures out how to call Eric. Though she's beginning to suspect if she's going to get out of this mess, she's going to have to find her own way out._

_Eric, Pam and Bill figure out that Felicia has been on the payroll of Victor since the takeover. Eric lets her die. Back in Vegas Sookie continues to work for the king, she watches a horrible interrogation and the king is able to get a taste of her blood. She retreats to her room and refuses to leave, finally the king visits her - she gets him to promise he won't kill the people she finds for him using her ability and they seem to come to an understanding._

_Sookie starts working for Lily (the lady who picked out all her clothing several chapters ago). After three weeks of working, showing the king she was accepting her life in Las Vegas Sookie gets lucky and "overhears" some Weres planning a coup. Sookie goes to the king and tries to bargain for her freedom._

_This Chapter: What does the king do?_

_Next Chapter: The Sheriff meeting, dealing with the Weres, and going home._

_..._

"Maybe," I said, pulling away from him, "but then we'll both die. Actually, they might let me live, but I know they'll kill you."

If I had hit Felipe between the eyes with a hammer, his face would have had a less shocked look on it. Finally after what seemed like an eternity passed between us, he said, "A fair point," then he got down to business, "what is it that you want?"

"I want my freedom," I said in a rush. "I want to go home. If I come back, I want it to be because I've chosen to."

Felipe was stroking his beard. He looked at me with cold black eyes, calculating his choices. "Fine, I agree." He was pissed. Whatever amusement he might have felt for his plucky telepath, he was not pleased to be losing her to a plot he failed to see coming and her own backbone.

"No," I said shaking my head. I felt like all the air had gone out of the room. My chest was tight, I wanted to run away.

"No? That's what you asked for."

"No. I want to you offer me my freedom in front of your court; I want you to swear to me you'll keep your word." His eyes flashed dangerously for the briefest of seconds, I had just said I didn't trust his word.

"But _Cosita__,__" _Felipe said as he flashed over to my side, pulling me in close, "what if we don't have time?"

"Then call a meeting of your sheriffs over the phone." I stared up into his black eyes, willing myself not to back down. This was my only chance, either I prevailed now or I would spend the rest of my life here. I knew now he wouldn't kill me, but I couldn't imagine there would be many times in my life when I would overhear a coup and have time to avert it and win my freedom.

Felipe let me go. I let out a long breath, the room seemed to spin a little; but I thought he just agreed.

Felipe pulled out his cell phone and punched a number. "Call a meeting of the Sheriffs." He hung up the phone, while staring at me.

I didn't know where to go, or if to stare back at him or not. Should I apologize, _'sorry for ruining your plans of holding me prisoner for the rest of my natural life, but I'd like to go home now. It's not personal. It's me, not you.' _I dismissed all of that, now was not the time to ramble. I looked out at the lights of Las Vegas; it seemed the safest thing to do.

Felipe's phone buzzed again. He looked at me as if to say "see" and put it on speaker phone. "Good evening," he said over the phone. "Would everyone please say their name?"

The sheriffs started naming themselves. It was a long list for three states. I only knew two of the names: Victor and Eric.

"I want it to be known that I am sending Miss Stackhouse back to Eric Northman. Each one of you is charged with her care should she be in your territory. If any harm befalls her in her stay of your lands -- you answer to me."

I tried to parse what the king had just said. Was it what I wanted? Was it good enough? Eric was on the call, surely he would suggest something if it wasn't right.

"Felipe," said Eric as my heart soared, "when can I expect my _wife's _return?" Yea, there it was. The rest of the sheriff's needed to know Eric was married to me. To touch me meant something beyond messing with a normal human, even a normal human who worked for a king. Also, Eric was getting him to put a timeline on my stay here. Clever, I should have thought of it.

"Within the month," the king said coolly, he would not be rushed. He turned off his cell phone and gave me a long appraising look. "Well?"

"The Weres," I said breathlessly, was this really going to work? I was going to faint. "They want to get rid of you as king entirely."

"How do you know?" I didn't mean to but I must have given him a withering look as if to say _how do you think you idiot?_ It was a moment before I could get my face back under control. Felipe graciously ignored my silent outburst. "When?"

"When you have a meeting of sheriffs here in Las Vegas, they plan to move then. They plan to get rid of most of your leadership and take control of the city." I needed to sit down. My head was swimming. I wasn't sure if Quinn was involved. Given how much he hated vampires I didn't think it too unlikely. I wished I had time to ask him. What if I had just cost him his life?

Felipe grabbed my arm to steady me. "Steady Sookie, you've just out maneuvered a vampire king, prevented a Were coup and got me to admit to my sheriffs that you will be going home soon. It wouldn't do to faint," he said somewhat fondly as he guided me over to his sofa.

"I just didn't think it would work," I said numbly.

Felipe laughed, long and hard. "Let's start at the beginning. Who is 'they'?"

"Weres, they've compromised your security force. The Weres have split down two lines. One group is loyal to you through the current packmaster, and the other to a new Were. He thinks Weres should run the city, not vampires."

Felipe paused and looked very serious. Vampires were very vulnerable in the day time; if some of his Weres were no longer loyal anything could happen. "I see."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "Come here," he said into the phone in the grimmest tone I'd ever heard him use. He ended that call and made one more. "Victor. Yes. I need you here." Victor would be here before 2 am.

Ivan and Christopher breezed into the room. Ivan's eyes went from me back to the king. He looked worried for a fleeting second and then the vampire mask of calm was back on his face.

"Ivan," said Felipe, "round up all the Weres who work for us. Anyone who works in security needs to be locked out of the system. Call me when this is done." Ivan and Christopher gave the barest of nods and were gone.

Then he turned to me and said lightly, "Can I persuade you at least to come back, and work for me?"

I was dumbstruck by his abrupt change. Also I knew I shouldn't let him negotiate with me without Eric. I knew at the moment I was in no condition to make deals with supernaturals. All I could hear was a buzzing in my ear. All I could feel was my own heart beating in my chest. When I didn't say anything Felipe said, "You will stay until the coup is over, and if all that you say is true, I will allow you to return home." I said nothing so he continued, "I would like you to return once a mouth to do my business." I nodded; I would have offered to do that anyway. "I'll pay you of course," he added after a moment.

"Of course," I said, finally coming out of my fear induced stupor, "Felipe, I will work for you as I can from my home and I agree to come out here and work for you; but I ask that you allow Eric to make those negotiations."

He laughed, once again finding his plucky telepath amusing. "Of course."

"Miss Stackhouse, I need to ask you to stay here for the night. We must move before the sun rises, and it would be dangerous for you to have anything other than a vampire guard, especially if anyone discovers it was you who uncovered this plot. I need Ivan and Christopher -- to do other things."

I nodded, dumbly and he left me to go "take care of things." I didn't want to think about that too closely. I knew he called Victor in and he was flying in immediately (I shuddered to think just how capable and trusted Victor must be for the king to call him in from his area to deal with the insurrection). I knew all the Weres in his service were being rounded up for questioning. I prayed the sweep wouldn't catch anyone I knew. As the hours wore on I feel asleep on the Felipe's sofa, looking out over the lights of Las Vegas. My last thought as I drifted off was to hope Quinn and Stephen were not involved.

---

_A/N: I hate cliffhangers. I really do and I thought it wasn't fair of me to leave you with the cliffhanger I left you with so here is the rest of that scene. Additionally I doubt I will have time to update this before December 20th. Sorry, that's just how it is. At least you now know Sookie is safe (mostly) and about to go home. She just has to make it through the coup. We get Eric and Victor back in the next chapter. _

_Also, to keep the timeline straight this fic kicks off at the end of January and she's been with the king about a month. That puts us at the beginning of March (for those keeping track at home)._


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Unusually I put these things at the end -- but you need to be warned I did not ask my beta to beta for me on Christmas eve and I wanted to get this update out because it is long overdue. Without discribing the past month too much -- let me just leave it with this: "clusterfuck." So I am sorry it took me so long, please know it could not be helped.

I think this chapter could use a little more time in the oven, but it is what it is.

If you find a mistake just drop me a note and I will fix it.

* * *

_Summary thus far: Sookie is out on the road with no memory of how she got there. Eric takes Sookie home with him. The next night we learn Amelia accidently erased Sookie's memory. Bill comes over to teach Sookie how to control her "gift." Eric returns from Fangtasia and discovers having what you've always wanted isn't what it's cracked up to be._

_The next night Eric takes Sookie with him to Fangtasia. Victor Madden, figures out something is amiss with Miss Stackhouse. Madden tells Eric and Sookie to report to Las Vegas. The king finds out there is something very wrong with Sookie. He insists she stay with him in Las Vegas. The next morning the king has an entire wardrobe sent over for her to pick through._

_Before leaving for Las Vegas Eric sends Pam to get Amelia on the off chance that someone (Victor or the King) figures out Amelia cast the spell on Sookie and wants her out of the way. Pam grabs the witch and takes her to _Alcide's_ house._

_Sookie's first night in Vegas she works for the king by listening in on some business associates. The king gets a little too close, and Sookie figures out how to call Eric. Though she's beginning to suspect if she's going to get out of this mess, she's going to have to find her own way out._

_Eric, Pam and Bill figure out that Felicia has been on the payroll of Victor since the takeover. Eric lets her die. Back in Vegas Sookie continues to work for the king, she watches a horrible interrogation and the king is able to get a taste of her blood. She retreats to her room and refuses to leave, finally the king visits her - she gets him to promise he won't kill the people she finds for him using her ability and they seem to come to an understanding._

_Sookie starts working for Lily (the lady who picked out all her clothing several chapters ago). After three weeks of working, showing the king she was accepting her life in Las Vegas Sookie gets lucky and "overhears" some Weres planning a coup. Sookie goes to the king and tries to bargain for her freedom._

_Felipe agrees to let her go after some good bargaining on Sookie's part._

_This Chapter: Were massacre, Quinn and going home._

_Next Chapter: Reunion_

**Chapter 16**

I woke up sometime around midnight to hear the elevator. The king's main room was a hive of activity and empty voids. For a while I just sat there trying to figure out what everyone was doing. Then Felipe walked into the room, Victor was on his heels. Spying me they started over in my direction.

"Sookie, we need to put you somewhere safe for the time being." Said Felipe and before I could say anything in protest Victor grabbed my arm and dragged me toward a room in the back of the king's quarters. Without a word he half carried half heaved me into a small room whose main attractions were a small bed a bathroom and a window. The door was sturdy and it locked from both sides, unfortunately they were different locks.

I looked at Victor who stood blocking the doorway in confusion. "Lock the door. Do not leave until a vampire comes to get you. The Weres will be out for your blood. It seems they've found out that we know and have moved up their plans to attack." He tossed me a key card that would give me access to the rest of the casino. "If things go poorly you might need this." Then he closed the door, locking his side. I stood there in shock for a few minutes then I did as I was told and locked my side of the door. How he expected me to use the key card I'd never know. I was locked in a room with no way out.

Then a lot of nothing.

Dawn came. My room was locked. I was starving. And there was nothing to be done other than wait and hope "my" side won. If there'd been a phone in the room I might have used it to call someone but there wasn't. Pulling my knees up to my chest I sat on the bed and waited for something to happen.

Eventually night came again and more hours past. I could feel flighting going on beyond the door. I could hear the anguished thoughts of the Weres in my head. As soon as their plot was discovered they've moved their plans forward in hopes of staying alive. Every Were knew to fail was to die, to be captured was to be killed.

Some time later I heard a pounding on my door, I knew better than to open it. It was a Were a very angry Were who blamed me for this. The door flew open and an angry Were bounded inside. His eyes settled on me, he wanted my blood. Directly behind him was a pissed off vampire. Grabbing the Were by the back of his neck the vampire threw the Were out of the room and down the hall. Before he died, the Were thought that the vampire who sent him to the room had not told him I'd have a guard.

Caught in a blood lust the vampire guarding me went off in search of more Weres to kill. My room was no longer safe, the lock had been busted. I poked my head out of the door to see a battle raging in the main room. Felipe stood over a prone Were, he tore out the Were's throat with one hand, and ripped off an arm with the other using it to bash yet an other Were on the head. I stumbled out of there and into the elevator desperate to get away from the smell and sight of death. Fumbling with the key card I headed to the casino floor thinking all the people there would give me the most safety. Once there I must have stumbled around for a while, eventually I found my way back to the chapel I'd been to earlier with Ivan. It was empty.

I sat there for a while hoping no one would find me. Eventually the I could feel an empty void behind me. I hadn't heard them come in. This had turned out to be a gigantic disaster. I turned to see who it was.

Felipe.

I felt some of the blood drain from my face. He stood watching me looking resplendent in a black cape, his dark eyes glittering in the darkness. His face looked almost sunburned, it was the most alive I'd ever seen a vampire look. Unconsciously, I took a step back. He seemed to have taken the time to change, I didn't see any blood on him.

Felipe mirrored my movements taking a step forward. "You're not injured are you." He gave me a quick once over. No I wasn't injured but I was terrified of him and there was no where to run in the church. The only exit was past Felipe and he was much quicker than I could ever hope to be. I wondered if he'd kill me for seeing what I'd seen.

"I need your help," he said abruptly.

I didn't understand and I felt like I was in a great deal of trouble

Felipe reached out for me. He said, finally. "You should _not_ have left that room. Perhaps Northman is right, you just won't take protection when it is offered." Felipe released my arm and looked at the altar.

"You are upset and you should not have seen what you did." We stood in silence for a while, then he said quietly, "I'm not the devil, Sookie, whatever you might think of vampires, I have no reason to kill innocent people. And no desire to. I'm not the devil." He seemed to be trying to convince himself of that last part.

I didn't say anything. I wasn't sure where this was going. "The devil is smarter than I am anyway." He gave a gold cross sitting on the altar a long look, "But I am further from God than I am from the devil and I know evil better than I know good." He turned his eyes from the cross and looked at the artificial shafts of light streaming through the stained glass windows, a sight he would never see for real in his un-life. The sun he gave up for an eternity of nights. "No matter what you saw tonight you should know that there are times when I wish to be made whole, to have my debts paid. There are times when I wish I had no wrongs, no sins to answer for." He looked back at me, "I would like to stand before God and know I have nothing to fear."

"But I cannot do that, the most I can hope for is to leave the innocent living and protect my people."

I didn't know what to do. It was such a profoundly intimate thing to say I didn't know where to look. As my eyes found my feet and once again threw my lot in with the king. I cleared my throat. "I think there is a vampire tied up in all this." I said. I didn't know if telling him more would help me. It would only make me seem more useful, and I didn't want to give him an excuse to break his promise to me. He could always find an other reason to keep me here. Felipe didn't say anything so I kept on going. "I read one of the Weres."

Felipe was silent for a while. He searched my face for answers. "Why do you tell me this? If you let them kill me, perhaps you can be free of vampires forever." He sounded perplexed.

"I don't know what else to do." I said, honestly. "Whoever takes your place could be worse."

He laughed. "So it is not my stunning good looks. Or great charm that has you saving my life repeatedly."

I shook my head.

"Or my many gifts."

I shook my head again.

"You cannot be bought."

I shrugged. "I just want to go home."

"You don't know what home is."

"I want a chance to find out."

Two more empty voids entered the room. They, unlike the king had not taken the time to change. I entertained the thought that Felipe had changed to avoid frightening me. Covered in blood and flushed with victory, their faces glowed red like the king's. I didn't recognize them.

Felipe bowed his head to me, "Sookie I need your help. You can save many lives. I do not need, or want, to kill the undeserving."

I knew what he was asking of me. If I said no he would simply slaughter all the Weres caught up in his net. If I said yes I would be sending the guilty to their graves. Either way there would be blood on my hands, I would be complicit in murder, I had no good choices, I did what would save the most lives. I nodded my head. There was nothing else to be done.

Felipe leaned in to whisper to me. "Given what you just told me, it would not be wise to leave my side for now." He motioned for me to follow him and dismissed the other two vampires with a wave of his hand.

We went back to the top floor. It was still a frightful mess, I couldn't see how any of this would get clean again. They'd have to replace everything but how would they explain all the blood?

Victor was waiting for us. Still neat as a pin, handkerchief in his pocket and a sword at his side. He smiled warmly when we walked into the room, I watched him warily. For a vampire willing to betray his king, my money was on him. "Ah, Miss Stackhouse," he said happily. "I see you are unharmed." He seemed pleased.

Most of the furniture was ruined, overturned or in such a state as to be useless. Felipe found the cleanest chair in the room, turning it over he motioned for me to sit. Saying to Victor, "Miss Stackhouse has agreed to read the Weres and save the innocent. She has also told me there is a traitor in our ranks. We will need to dispose of him -- or her, before dawn."

I watched Victor very carefully as the king spoke. The news of a traitor didn't seem to surprise him, but then it was the logical conclusion, how else would the Weres have known to move up their attack plan?

Vampires began to flood the room. Their fangs were run out and their faces flushed with all the blood they'd taken in over the night. They still seemed almost high on all the blood. More than one of them turned toward me and looked at my neck hungrily. Victor flanked me, his hand on his sword. Whether the vampires feared Felipe enough not to make a move or feared Victor's sword the effect was the same. They might have wanted my blood but none took a step to take it.

The vampires set up the room for an impromptu tribunal. Since he was in all black Felipe didn't mind if he sat in blood. He'd found a chair and dragged it over to me. Victor stood behind us. In the crowd I could see Ivan and Christopher. Both were injured but seemed to be healing rapidly. I didn't know many of the other vampires. Quinn was no where to be seen. I assumed he'd been taken in for questioning.

It was four in the morning. We didn't have a lot of time.

When Felipe rose the room fell silent and all eyes fell on him. Up to that moment I had only thought of Felipe as a very powerful vampire -- but now I saw him as king. Back straight he radiated power. Every vampire in the room deferred to him. I can't explain it but I could feel his presence and it demanded respect. Felipe turned to Victor and said something too quietly for me to pick up. Victor handed over his broad sword in response. Saying to me as he turned back to face the room "A king must be willing to make his own justice." He stepped away from me and Victor holding the sword casually in his right hand. By some unspoken agreement two Weres were brought into the room. They were made to kneel in front of him -- well us.

"You are here because you betrayed your word." He said to both of them, they knew better than to say anything. "If you have commit no wrong you will not be injured."

I didn't know these Weres but I could feel their terror. One was thinking he never should have agreed to this and the other that he should have said something. I took a deep breath, there was nothing to be done I told myself. "The dark haired one, he went along with it. The other just knew. He didn't do anything to help or to stop it."

Moving quicker than I could track with my human eyes, Felipe grabbed the one I had said had none nothing and cut off his ear. I felt the blood drain from my face. "You are free to go," he said to him, "but you are never to return to any of my kingdoms, you will be hunted and killed." Blood was sheeting down the Were's neck. Every vampire in the room seemed to take one step toward the injured Were. Felipe released him. "Go."

The darkhaired Were strained against his bonds, he did not want to die on his knees. "Take him away," Felipe said to no one in particular. "We will deal with the true traitors later." The dark-haired Were was dragged from the room and taken away. This is how we went forward for the next hour: the innocent were let go, those who knew and said nothing either had an ear cut off or their tongue cut out. The guilty were put aside to be "dealt" with later. We did this until justice was done. I never saw Stephen and Quinn never put in an appearance.

The last Weres I saw judged was the packmaster and a smaller one who was never given a name. Both were made to get on their knees before Felipe. The smaller of the two stared down at the floor, the older, the packmaster, looked up defiantly at the king. He would have been a handsome man if not for his injuries. He was covered in bruises his face was starting to swell, his hair was gun metal grey with a peppering of silver. He had dark eyes and he used them to drill holes into Felipe.

Felipe never flinched, he never so much as blinked, "You have caused me a great deal of trouble, Packmaster."

The older Were said nothing. He was shaking in anger, he wanted to tear Felipe apart.

"Would you like to say anything in your defense?" Felipe asked. I felt Victor shift his weight slightly behind me. Whispering in my ear, "There is no reason for you to watch this, and it _will_ offend your human sensibilities."

I tore my eyes away from the scene in front of me to look up at Victor. "I brought them to this place." I said. "This is my responsibility."

"Don't be silly. They made all their own decisions. If not for you we would all be dead. If not for you _I _would be dead." I suppose for Victor that was the important part. It didn't seem the time to quibble that they were already dead. I just nodded. The packmaster was shouting now. Swearing his sons would come for the king, that they would have their revenge. Sure, give the vampires a reason to track down all your children and exterminate them.

Before I could protest Victor pulled me to my feet and whirled me around to face him. Just then I heard the sound of a sword slicing through air and a sicker, wetter sound. Then again, a cheer went up from the crowd. Then nothing. I heard the king say "bring in the others." I shivered, apparently 'later' had arrived for the Weres facing judgment.

"There is nothing you can do for them, Sookie. Nothing. Come with me." I didn't protest as he dragged me from the room.

Victor took me back to the room I'd escaped from earlier. I sat down on the bed waiting for it to all be over. Victor stood at the door blocking anyone who would want to come in -- or out. I looked down at my fingernails. "What about Quinn?" I asked finally.

"Felipe thought you wouldn't want to pass judgment on him."

That didn't answer my question. "But is he a part of this?"

Victor watched me for a while, perhaps thinking how much Felipe would want him to say about this to me. Clearly I was being kept out of the loop. Victor shrugged, "We don't know. He will be questioned."

"Tortured, you mean."

"Would you rather be the one to question him?"

I thought about that, I could save Quinn a great deal of pain. On the other hand if he was involved and I told the vampires the truth about it I would be sending him to his death. "He's very hard for me to read you know," I said after a few minutes. "But I'd like to talk to him."

Victor looked amused. "All right." He took a step away from the door and motioned for me to follow him. I could hear shouting from the main room. "Follow me." I started to look back into the main room but Victor pulled me along with him before I could see anything. We went down through a back away I didn't know existed. Of course there would be a back stairs, vampires wouldn't trap themselves in a room with no exits. That was not how they got to be king. "There is no elevator, I'm afraid."

I didn't get his meaning.

"We are holding Quinn in a basement level."

It would be too far for me to walk down 80 or so flights barefoot. "You'll have to carry me." I said. This wasn't a question. I didn't know how I felt about being in the arms of Victor Madden. Actually, I did know and I didn't like it one bit.

Before I could give it too much additional thought he scooped me up into his arms and we jetted off toward the bowels of the casino. It wasn't a dungeon, at least not one that you'd picture being in a castle. It was brightly lit and the floors were of high quality linoleum. I got the feeling that the entire floor was very secure. After letting me back on my feet Victor explained, "This is where we keep the money -- and other important things." He led me down a long corridor, past casino employees going about their business, seemingly unaware of what was going on around them.

"They don't know," I asked.

"They know something is up, they're smart enough not to ask what exactly. And if they do ask we'll glamor them."

After a series of dizzying turns, we ended up at a kind of vault door. The kind of door you saw in banks with large wheels and heavy steel. Two humans stood guard, they were both armed with shotguns. "I'm here to question Quinn."

The humans stepped aside. Their minds were almost entirely blank. I looked at Victor questioningly. When we'd past the door and it was firmly shut behind us he answered my unasked question. "They're Renfields." He said as if that explained anything. When I didn't give him any kind of indication of understanding he went on, "With our Were guards untrustworthy we've had to rethink security here. Humans are a good replacement but there are some jobs that require absolute obedience. Renfields will do whatever they're told." At the time I didn't understand what Victor was telling me. I just nodded.

We were now in an area with a number of cells. The bars were silver, a few Weres I had not seen previously were sitting miserably behind the bars staring out at nothing. "Some of these Weres will be given over to the pits. If they survive they get to live," he said with a shrug. From his tone he thought that the vampires were being very magnanimous.

Finally we reached an other heavy door. There were no bars, the wall was solid. Victor dialed in a combination and the door swung open towards us. Inside crouched Quinn. He was bruised, beaten and bloody. His arms and legs were shackled in silver chains, As we stepped inside he let out a feral growl.

"Quinn." Said Victor. "I've brought you some help."

"Sookie, you can't be helping these things." Quinn said angrily.

I noticed the room had no toilets, it stank of excrement. I also noticed, I didn't like being in enclosed spaces with no windows and obvious exits. I backed up against the metal door. "Quinn," I said, unsure of what to do next.

His brain was such a heavy tangle of emotions I couldn't get much out of him other than anger. Victor looked at me expectantly. "I don't know," I said with a shrug. "He's too angry to get anything else off him other than anger."

"YOU'RE HERE TO HELP _THEM_ INTERROGATE ME?"

Victor answered for me. "Spare us the theatrics. She's here to spare you days of torture. She's here to save your life you stupid animal. If you prefer we can start flaying off your skin until we're satisfied of your guilt or innocence."

Victor moved to crouch in front of Quinn, "Or we can just send you back to the pits. I always did like watching you fight. Victor ran his hand up Quinn's muscular arm. It was very beautiful."

I shivered despite myself. It was not cold in the room.

Victor stood up and took a step away from Quinn. "Do what you came here to do." He told me.

I knew before I touched him. I knew he had helped plan this from the beginning. I knew. I don't know why I delayed, why I put on a show for Victor. Taking a deep breath I knew what would happen next, the king or Victor would kill Quinn. They would kill him at my say so, unless I lied.

"Could I have a minute with him," I asked Victor.

Victor just smiled and left the cell closing the cell door behind him. I felt the space close in around me.

I sat down next to Quinn. "I'm sorry." I said. I didn't know what else to say.

"What are you going to do?" He sounded pretty miserable.

"I know." I told him, thinking he'd understand.

He laughed to himself. "Of course you do." He reached out for my hand and I gave it to him.

I could feel he loved me at one time. I felt my own wave of shame at what I had to do.

"What do you want me to do?" It was a cowardly thing to ask. I was looking for absolution. I too wanted to stand in the sight of God and know I had nothing to fear.

"Don't feel bad. It was my own fault."

It was, but I wasn't going to say that to him. Who plans a coup around a telepath? Holding his hand I also realized which vampire was responsible for this mess. "You should tell them who put you up to this."

Quinn shrugged expressively. "Fuck em. I hope they bring this whole place down on Felipe's ears."

I couldn't argue at his anger. The vampires had taken everything away from him. His youth, his business and soon, his life. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No," he rumbled softly. "Frannie will be OK. And my mom is someone else's problem now."

I nodded, climbing back to my feet. Victor must have been listening because the door opened just as I got back to my feet. I walked out of the cell and he closed the door with a slam.

"Well?" Victor asked, as if he didn't know.

"I need to talk to the king."

"He won't give you Quinn's life, Sookie. It's dangerous just to ask."

"I need to ask anyway."

Victor looked like he was going to argue for moment, and then he thought better of it and started to lead me out of the dungeon. We went back a different walking in silence and walked in silence. I was wrapped up in my own thoughts anyway. Eventually we came to a set of elevators. "Let's go." Said Victor, cheerily.

This set of elevators hooked up with the main casino elevators. Apparently only the back stairs didn't have elevators running along side them. Using his key card Victor made it so that no one else could get on. We road all the way up to the top floor without stopping. My ears popped as we ascended. As we neared our destination Victor said, "It's a mistake, Sookie. Just go home."

"Maybe." I said. "One way to find out."

Now on the king's floor I could see the clean up was in full swing. The carpets were being pulled up and all the furniture junked. I imagined, somewhere out in the desert there would be a great bonfire. Felipe stood in the center of the room, overseeing the clean up.

It was just past 5 in the morning, soon the sun would be rising. Felipe seemed pleased to see me. "Ah, the hero of the hour."

I didn't feel like a hero, I felt like someone who had sent countless Weres to their deaths. I thought about that for a minute. I had not asked for the lives of those other Weres, why was Quinn deserving of my loyalty? I didn't have an answer for that, but I thought if I ever did get my memory back I would regret not asking for his life. I cleared my throat. "Felipe, I need to talk to you."

Felipe's eyes went from me to Victor back to me. "Yes, of course." He motioned for me to follow him. Victor stayed in the room, perhaps to oversee the clean up, maybe he didn't want to see what came next. I followed Felipe to the room I'd been kept in the previous night. Felipe stood by the window, watching for the first signs of sunrise.

"Quinn went against you." I said.

Felipe said nothing.

"And I know who betrayed you."

Felipe smiled showing a little fang, "And you would give me this information for a price."

He seemed to know where I was going with this. He ran the back of his hand over my cheek. My faced was flushed and hot if it weren't so terrifying to be alone with a vampire you were attempting to blackmail his cool hand would have felt nice. He leaned down to whisper quietly in my ear, "But _mujar_, given enough time I can just get that information out of Quinn." I shuddered, getting it out of Quinn would be bad, for Quinn.

I took a step back and found myself with my back at the door. There was nowhere to go. Great. "You wouldn't have that information before the sun rises today. You would have to spend an other day with a traitor in your ranks. Who knows what kind of damage they'll do." I could feel him trying to influence me, to my great joy I found him easy to push aside.

With his hand still on my cheek he seemed to think this new development over. The night had had an affect on him, his fangs were partially out and the idea of getting this information out of Quinn seemed to excite him. "And what do you propose?" He asked his eyes moving from my face to my neck back to my face again -- it was very disconcerting.

"If you don't kill Quinn I'll give you the name of the vampire." I said, swallowing hard.

He ran his hand lightly over my collarbone. "What makes you think I won't make you tell me."

I cleared my throat. "You want me to come back and work for you. This is the third time I've saved your life, I am very valuable to you." Shouldn't I be getting some kind of frequent flyer benefit? Save a king's life three times get your boon granted?

Felipe laughed a little and stood back. "Fair enough." He let his cape fall about him in waves of dark black fabric as he sat down on the bed. "The name of this vampire."

I was still standing up against the door. "You haven't told me you'd spare Quinn."

"And I will not."

My mouth hung open a little I was going to say something when he cut me off with a wave of his hand. "What would you have me do, Sookie? I didn't know until now that he was involved, but clearly you are here -- he is." He stopped and narrowed his eyes at me, "Are you willing to pay the price?"

"I'll tell you the name of the vampire."

"Yes, yes; but this is in addition to that."

I didn't have the ability to bargain with vampires. Negotiations were beyond my ability to comprehend. I didn't know what a good deal was.

"Did Victor tell you not to ask for this?"

I looked down at my feet. "Yes."

"I thought ask much. He likes you."

I didn't say anything. "Miss Stackhouse, if I give you this it will cost you more than you want to pay. I will take a life for a life. I cannot let Quinn live. If you were to persuade me to let Quinn live, I would look weak. If you do not tell me who my traitor is -- again I will look bad, especially in the wake of an insurrection.

Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

I was still looking at my feet. I understood. Felipe had given me as much as he was willing and able to give unless I gave him something more. He'd indulged me by letting me go home, but he would not give me Quinn's life without further payment.

The bed creaked as he stood up again. "The sun in rising. I need the name."

"Sandy." I murmured. "I pulled it off Quinn."

"Sandy. I will make arrangements. As to Quinn. I will give him a choice. Death, or he can return to the pits for five years. He is old, I do not think he will survive." Felipe took my hand and raised it to his lips, delivering the barest of kisses to the back of my hand. He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "If you wish to go home you will go home. You have nothing to fear from me; but you _will_ do as I ask, Sookie." Felipe moved me aside to return to the main room and Victor. No doubt to order at least one more death and arrange security for the day. I waited in the little room for a few more minutes gathering my wits about me and then followed Felipe back out into the main room.

Most of the blood was gone, the carpets were gone, humans were in the middle of laying new carpet. By nightfall it would be as though nothing ever happened here. Felipe was talking to Victor, they fell silent as I approached.

"Ah, Sookie," said Victor, "you'll have human guards today, and tonight we'll leave for New Orleans."

I nodded. I wanted this night to end. It was five thirty in the morning as I trudged over to the elevator. The sun would be rising soon. I didn't know where Felipe and Victor would rest for the day, I didn't care. Two large humans were waiting for me at my room, they were armed, they had on ridiculous sunglasses (seeing as we were inside). They looked me up and down, one of them was wondering what the big deal was about me. Why did I need 24 hour protection? I didn't ask their names as I walked past them.

Once inside I threw myself down on my bed and passed out. My last conscious thought was that I hadn't eaten in nearly 48 hours, I was starving.

I woke up at night, I could feel a void in the room -- that could only mean a vampire. Sitting up in the bed I reached over for the light, which switched on before I could tun it on.

Victor.

He grinned at me.

"Ready to go?"

I blinked at him a few times trying to get the crazy events of the last two nights under control. It didn't work.

Still grinning Victor handed me a cup of steaming coffee as he sat down on the bed. I frowned at him. There was food on the nightstand. Was Victor Madden hitting on me? "We're going to be late you know." He said, still grinning a cat like grin.

"Late for what?"

"Our plane ride." He stood up off the bed and left the room. "Get dressed and eat something, I need to return to my area before dawn."

Putting the cup of coffee on the nightstand I shoved some food in my mouth and rushed though showering (a necessity after a Were massacre). Throwing on a pair of jeans and a sweater. As I was in the middle of blow drying my hair I caught sight of Victor in the bathroom mirror. I wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Do I need to say anything to Felipe?"

"Who do you think sent me?"

It seemed odd to just leave after so many weeks with no formal goodbye. Maybe it was Felipe's way of saying I wouldn't be gone long. I gave my hair one last burst of hot hair and tossed it back. It fell in unruly waves around my shoulders.

"Then I'm ready to go." Since I'd come with nothing I was determined to leave with nothing and followed Victor out of the room. There were no guards waiting for us. We got on the elevator and left through the front of the casino. I didn't even get to say goodbye to Lily. I'd have to write her a letter or call her later, I supposed.

At the entrance of the casino a large black SUV sat waiting for us. The human driver stood waiting at the backdoor of the car waiting for our arrival. As we approached he opened the door and waited for us to climb in. Like the Renfields last night his mind was mostly blank.

As I settled in Victor said, "We're rethinking security, remember?"

I wondered what I had done.

Victor pulled me out of my darker thoughts. "You will always be desirable to vampires you know." Oh, good.

"What?"

"Like the king, like me, like Eric. You're just too valuable to let go. The king was very angry when he learned Eric usurped him by marrying you."

I just nodded. Why was Victor telling me this?

"How did you know it wasn't me," Victor asked abruptly.

"I don't know you, but I don't think it is your style. Besides, I read Quinn." It occurred to me that Quinn was very angry and he might want to throw me off the track, that a smart person would know I would try to bargain for Quinn's life. It was all I could do to keep my face straight I knew somehow that Victor had set me up. All this was Victor's doing. He knew I'd ask to speak to Quinn, he knew I'd scoop out something from Quinn's brain and he knew that Quinn hated vampires enough to try and bring the whole kingdom down.

"Oh?" Victor asked, watching me with predatory eyes.

"Victor, I have no doubt you will one day try to overthrow your king; but from what I've seen from you, you'd never be so foolish to do it around a telepath." Or you can use a telepath against herself. What had I done? I wished to be far, far away from vampires and their intrigues.

Victor laughed at that, buying my apparent ignorance. "Fair enough Sookie. I'm supposed to take you home now. I wanted to ask you to join _me_ if you want."

"I just risked my life and the king's life so I could go home."

"Well, if you change your mind. New Orleans is always open to you." I supposed this was true, but I understood now just how dangerous vampires were. I needed to get away before anything else happened.

The ride to the airport was nothing like the ride to the casino. Victor _chatted_ (yes, chatted) about the city and how it had changed over the years. "What's New Orleans like?" I asked, wanting to keep the conversation as far away from vampire politics as possible.

He laughed his 'I'm laughing with you laugh', "I forget you don't remember. As cities go it has it's charms. There are problems of course, because of the hurricane."

When I gave him a look of confusion, Victor explained Katrina and the annihilation of most of the city. By then we were at the airstrip. Victor helped me out of the car and we walked over to the plane.

"Thinking you might refuse, the king has taken the liberty of sending your clothing ahead of you. Think of it as an advance payment on your services." We started to climb the stairs to the private plane. "He's quite fond of you Sookie, you could use that to your advantage."

"Seems like a dangerous game to play, Victor." I said echoing the king's words. I felt a brief wave of panic once inside the plane. The space closed in around me, the last time I'd been on board Eric had glamoured me into a state of calm. That was no longer an option. I would not trust Victor in my mind. There were too many secrets I had to keep.

I sank into a large, soft chair and took in a deep breath.

"Are you going to be, alright?"

"It's a short flight, right?"

"Short enough. I could glamour you if you want."

"Unlikely," I said confidently.

The engines roared to life, pushing me back against the chair. I closed my eyes and soon enough we were airborne. Out the window the lights of the city glittered against the night. Taking slow, deep breaths I was able to push my fear into the back recesses of my mind.

I was on my way home.

* * *

A/N 2: Well. Sookie is free"ish"

I should get the reunion chapter out soon. Since I don't have children the Christmas holidays are always a time to catch up for me.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas (if that is your thing). And a happy New Year. May you stick to your resolutions: get in touch with long lost friends and learn a new language.

I leave you with my favorite carol:

I heard the bells on Christmas Day  
Their old familiar carols play,  
And wild and sweet  
The words repeat  
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,  
The belfries of all Christendom  
Had rolled along  
The unbroken song  
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,  
The world revolved from night to day,  
A voice, a chime  
A chant sublime  
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black accursed mouth  
The cannon thundered in the South,  
And with the sound  
The carols drowned  
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent  
The hearth-stones of a continent,  
And made forlorn  
The households born  
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;  
"There is no peace on earth," I said;  
"For hate is strong,  
And mocks the song  
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:  
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!  
The Wrong shall fail,  
The Right prevail,  
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Ok, so I'm an atheist -- but I do love that song/poem (I used to get paid to sing as a hired gun, that song always brought me to tears). The best gift you can give at Christmas is kindness, it costs you nothing. Hug someone in your life for me:)


	17. Chapter 17

_When last we met Sookie was on her way home from Las Vegas. Having blackmailed the king into letting her go. _

_Thank you to _Sarifina85 for beta-ing this work. Without her there would be commas _everywhere_.

* * *

**Chapter 17**

We didn't fly into Shreveport, I don't know what I expected but Victor took me back to New Orleans. As we descended, I took a deep breath; I'd fought for weeks to be allowed back home and now I was struck by a feeling of uncertainty. Dawn was still hours away, I wondered if I had to entertain Victor or if I could just find a way to get to Bon Temps. Looking around the aircraft, I realized I was being watched in that predatory way vampires have when something that interests them is in the room. By now I knew better than to make any sudden moves.

Ignoring Victor as best I could, I considered my options. I figured it was still early in the evening; I could make it to Bon Temps, but it was a very long drive (once I learned where I lived, I checked out a map of the state). It would be much easier to go to Shreveport and decide what to do from there. Going to Shreveport meant going to Eric, as he was the vampire the king had essentially released me to. There was a bitter irony to feeling so lost; for weeks I'd hoped someone would come get me, I hoped I would find a way home. Now I was here and I was unsure how to progress. I wasn't even sure how to get there. Did I know how to drive? Would Victor drive me, would he lend me a car?

The plane was landing now and I braced myself. I needn't have worried; the landing was smooth and swift. As the plane taxied to a halt, Victor rose (before the captain said we could) and stood by the door, looking out the tiny porthole. He had a grin on his face as he looked back my way. "Excited to be back?"

I didn't say anything. With vampires, I've found the less said the better. From then on, everything moved at double time speed. We deplaned, and the night was – moist. After so many weeks in the desert, breathing here was like breathing in water or soup. The air felt sticky on my skin. The lights of a city somewhere in the distance reflected orange against overcast clouds. I found myself wanting to stand closer to Victor, because he was the only familiar thing about the situation I found myself in. With a wrench of will, I stuck by the stairs of the plane and waited for what came next.

Victor explained that he could not take more time off from his area. While I was still trying to figure out what he was trying to tell me, two cars pulled up on the tarmac. "The driver will take you anywhere you want to go."

It was a trap of course; I was starting to see though vampire ruses. If I'd gone home to Bon Temps he might use that as evidence that I had left Eric's protection. It would be reported to the king and I would find myself back in Las Vegas before too much time had passed. There was no upside to not going to Eric as quickly as possible.

Deep in my soul, I felt deeply tired of vampires and their politics, and I wondered if I would ever be free of them. After bidding Victor goodnight and thanking him for his help, (this was no time to be rude, in my opinion) I loaded myself into the black town-car. The driver was a Were, so the Were massacre had extended only so far I guessed. After sliding (inelegantly, might I add) into the back seat the driver looked up and asked "Where too?" As if he didn't already know.

"Um... do you know the bar Fangtasia? In Shreveport?"

"Sure do," he said laconically. We were on our way.

We drove in blessed silence for a long time; I didn't know how far Shreveport actually was from New Orleans (having seen it on a map didn't help much for driving times). The silence and the time were welcome. It gave me time to think. I was going back to a man I didn't know all that well. I knew he found me alone on a dark road. I knew that I felt safe with him, and that while I was with him no one had died. I knew, he seemed like a better option than either Felipe or Victor and in this world of vampires, I did not have many options. If I left Eric, it seemed to me I would be back with the king -- for my own protection.

And no matter how glamorous my life was in Las Vegas, I was a prisoner there. I had guards, I didn't pick my own clothing, and I did not make my own food. I did not have the keys to my own door. I couldn't talk to who I wanted to talk to and I couldn't go where I wanted to go to. I had as much freedom as Felipe allowed, no more. It was no way to live.

While in Las Vegas I had seen poor people, the woman who cleaned my room did not have a great deal and what she did have she sent back home to her family. Before I was very good at setting up my shields I knew she envied my life of leisure. As black road flew past my eyes, I wish I knew more about Eric before running back to him. Was he a worse option? I didn't know. Felipe had shown little regard for my human sensibilities for compassion. He didn't mind butchering Weres in front of me, he didn't mind sending a man I knew to be my friend to his death.

He had his moments of kindness to be sure, whether they were vestiges left over from a human life nearly forgotten or attempts to manipulate me, I didn't know. And I probably never would.

I thought about the past few weeks; it all seemed a blur, the past three days in particular. Just one night ago, the Weres of Las Vegas tried to throw off the yoke of Vampire oppression (or at least that's how they saw it) and they were smacked down, harshly. I wondered if Weres were loyal to one another. If they were, I would have to watch my back with the local packs. I could not think that what I had done would endear me to them.

It was about one in the morning when we pulled into the parking lot of Fangtasia. A knot started to build in my stomach. In the past, when I was in close proximity to Eric, I felt blissfully at peace. Now my own worry trumped every other emotion, all I could feel was my own fear and apprehension. The parking lot was packed.

This was as far as my plan had gone in my head. From here on out it was black road and no headlights. I got myself out of the car. Victor must have known I wouldn't have any money on me because the driver didn't ask for any. I glanced behind me to the front door of the club and took a deep breath.

"Thanks for the ride."

"No, problem." He nodded at me, he wasn't going anywhere.

"You sticking around?"

"Ah'yep. Supposed to stay here until you leave with someone. If you don't – then you come back to New Orleans with me," Victor had not told me this.

"Uh, Great." I prayed to whatever god took such prayers, that Eric was here, that he wanted to see me. No time like the present; I squared my shoulders and headed to the front door.

Thalia, the tiny, dark haired vampire, was manning the door. She took a while to take me in, looking me up and down – maybe for signs of trouble, I have no idea. Saying nothing she just waved me in. The inside of the club was exactly how I remembered it, and peopled of the same kind of clientele with the same ridiculous outfits, blacks, reds and vinyl. I knew firsthand that a king of three states preferred Italian and French design houses and he was partial to jewel tones and nudes. If it was vampire attention they were after they were doing it wrong.

I stood a few feet inside for a moment, trying to get my bearings. I had not planned for Eric not being at the front door and I didn't know how to go about getting his attention. I could feel the background hum of his life, strumming along with my own heartbeat but at the same time, I now had more memories of a life without him than with and it seemed odd – wrong even to just march toward the back and walk in on him. Victor and Felipe could have made this easier on me. They could have called ahead but they'd sent me back to him this way for a reason, if they wanted me confused and anxious they'd accomplished their goal.

Maybe they were doing it to piss off Eric? I thought, as various fangbangers bumped up against me, moving me though the crowed like a piece of wood floating down a turbulent river. But then, to what end? Felipe already played his hand by taking me to begin with. I shrugged off this line of thinking. Eric would know. And I had to find him.

It was Pam who found me first. After long weeks of plotting to get away, I wasn't sure how to get through a vampire bar. A cool hand grabbed my arm. "Sookie," she said, sounding excited as she guided me out of the maelstrom.

"Pam." I could have hugged her at that moment.

"How did you get here?" She was looking for signs of trouble.

"A Were drove me," I answered seriously.

"Of course one did. Is he still here?"

"He's right outside."

Fangbangers were starting to cast me envious looks, why was I getting so much attention from Eric's right hand? "Is Eric here?" I knew he was. The beginnings of panic were welling within me. The tiny vampire took me in for a long moment as if trying to figure out what game I was playing.

"Sookie, why did Felipe let you go?" Was she afraid of a trap?

I was pleased for once to have an answer for something, "I blackmailed him," I said simply.

Pam laughed. My answer seemed to satisfy her because she led me back to Eric's office by my hand.

As we wound our way through the throngs of people, Pam said, "Eric is very pleased you are here. I did not know you were able to arrange your own release. Even without your memories you are very amusing to watch." I was glad Pam found me so amusing and it was good to get away from the main crush of people. While I could now easily block out most of the thoughts in the room it still tired me to do so. Maybe I just needed a lifetime of practice before it became second nature again, maybe I always went around in a state of exhaustion and after a lifetime of it, I didn't notice anymore. Depressing thought – I pushed it away, I had bigger fish to fry, namely 6'5" of vampire.

Pam chatted with me as she led me back to the office, I couldn't process any of it. I was too nervous. Apparently they had hired a new bartender, a human this time since the vampire ones were now refusing to take the job and since the vampire ones had such short lifespans around here, a human would do just as well. I couldn't get my mind back on track, what if this didn't work, what if he sent me back to Felipe, what if I never got my memory back. Deep breaths.

"Eric," Pam said, as she opened the door to his office. "Look what a Were dragged in."

He knew it was me already, he felt me as surely as I felt him. I stood in the doorway unsure of myself, lost in his luminous blue eyes. Afraid to move forward and nowhere to go. "Eric," I started.

I don't think either of us knew what to do. Pam was grinning (or as close to ginning as a vampire might come) I took a hesitant step forward and for the first time wished I'd worn something nicer for the occasion, but I'd left all my nice clothing with the king. "Thank you Pam, that will be all," Eric said. For a moment, I saw Pam's milkmaid face slip as she frowned for the briefest of moments before leaving and shutting the door behind her.

Eric was on me in a flash, pulling me into his arms and checking my neck for bite marks. I'm weak I know, I melted into him letting every muscle in my body relax for the first time in weeks, months even, right down to my hair follicles. "How did you get here?" he asked, pulling back a little to get a better look at me before folding me back into his arms.

"A Were drove me," I explained into his soft black tee-shirt. "You didn't tell Pam."

"What?"

"You didn't tell Pam I might come back, she didn't know."

"No. I did not. I did not know if Felipe would keep his word and I did not want to listen to her teasing if you failed to return."

I knew a lot of what I was feeling at the moment was this bond I had with Eric and at the time I just didn't care. I had been so scared for so long, that I just wanted to feel as I did then. Complete. Right. Peaceful. I felt like all the missing pieces were put together and that they were holding me.

"I'm very proud of you," Eric said taking my hand; he brought me over to his desk where he picked up the phone. "Pam, I'm leaving. I'll be back tomorrow."

"Proud of me?" I asked as we drove back to his house, the one I'd stayed with him at when he first brought me home.

"Yes, you kept your wits, you figured out how to manipulate the situation to your favor and you did not wait for someone to come save you." He said the last bit darkly.

"Are you OK?" I asked.

"I am fine," he said, keeping one hand on me and one on the steering wheel. "You should not have had to leave as you did."

I watched more black roads fly by my eyes at alarming speeds. I didn't want his anger at himself to mess up whatever he had with "real me," so finally I said, "Eric. I understand."

He looked over at me; I found this highly alarming as we were driving at frightening speeds. "What do you understand?"

"Vampires, and obligation and that fighting might have gotten us mired more deeply. I understand that Felipe and Victor are still interested and," I felt a lump catch in my throat, "I'm afraid you'll send me back to them. I understand how powerful Felipe is, and how ruthless. I understand you couldn't 'save' me."

We drove a while in silence. "You should not have to."

Going back to his place reminded me of the first night I "met" him. I felt apprehensive; I wasn't sure what the ground rules were. We pulled into the driveway and waited in silence as the garage door opened.

Once inside, I dithered around not knowing what to do. "Are you hungry?" He asked me.

"No." I was hungry but I was starting to get so nervous that I wasn't sure I should eat. Sensing my discomfort, he brought me over to the sofa in the main room and warped an arm around me. It was like bliss on tap.

I leaned into him as if I'd never left. I needed to get the parameters of this bond thing. All the time I had been with Felipe in Las Vegas, I'd been afraid to ask for fear of drawing more attention to it. Eric kept his hands on me the whole time, letting me go only so long as to get me food and to let me go to the bathroom. I didn't mind the contact, even knowing he was a stranger to me (or seemed to be) instead I felt confident and beautiful. "So what's happened?" I asked.

"Amelia believes she can reverse the spell," he said. If he'd been a cat, he'd be purring with the joy of human contact.

"And?"

"And I will see. I will speak to her mentor first. We can have no further mishaps."

"What about everything else: my house, my bills, my job?"

"All taken care of." I nodded thoughtfully.

"How did you do it?" he asked finally.

"I found out the Weres in the area were planning a coup. I told Felipe I would give him the information if he let me come back here."

"That's very dangerous, Sookie," he said so quietly I had trouble hearing him.

"So Felipe said." I was playing with the ends of my hair as I spoke. "But my life there, it wasn't any life at all. I came and went as the king said, I spoke only to the people he wanted me to talk to; I ate what he had sent to my room and wore the clothing he – or the people working for him approved. He wasn't mean to me, but I never want to go back there without you or a promise from him that I don't have to stay."

Eric laughed a little and took my hands in his, preventing me from playing with the ends of my hair. "You know, you are much the same person as you were with your memories."

"You find that surprising?"

"No," he said, pausing for a moment. "I was the victim of a similar curse, though that one was to hurt, not help me. I was much the same, fearful at first but in my core the same person. I wanted control of my life. I wanted you." He kissed the top of my head. "You are less stubborn."

That led to a long silence. I didn't know what to do about us. What were we anyway?

"Eric. What do we do now? Is it safe for me? Can I go back home, do you want me to stay here?"

"We can do whatever you want. I did not wait patiently for your return to scare you off by making demands on you. Of course you can go back home, I'll have someone take you there tomorrow. And I have always wanted you to stay here."

I twisted away from him so I could look him in the eye. "Why?"

"You are very unusual for a human. I like it when you are around and I find it difficult to protect you."

"Which is why you're upset about this whole Felipe mess?"

Eric weighed that for a moment. "I am not upset," he said quietly. "You are my asset, you are under my protection I should have been able to maneuver Felipe into a better position. We are very fortunate that you are not a stupid woman. But there is nothing to be gained by dwelling on the past. You cannot live as long as I have and dwell on the past, there is too much of it."

This seemed like good advice all things considered. "What is wrong?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. "The Weres," I said, settling back into him. "The night of the coup, I read the ones that had – betrayed Felipe and I told him who did what. They're all dead because of me."

"Do you really think that?"

I shrugged. It felt true.

"Sookie, Felipe would have killed all of them, you saved the innocent and the guilty knew the risks they took."

"Quinn," I said in a bare whisper.

"I have heard that he will be returned to the pits."

I nodded.

Eric said nothing and stroked my arm.

"Eric?" I said.

"Yes lover?"

"Victor planned the whole thing." Eric waited for me to elaborate and when I didn't, he asked, "How do you know?"

"I'm not sure – I didn't read him if that's what you mean."

"Then how?"

I explained reading Quinn in prison and what happened to Sandy. I told him everything that Victor had said to me and his apparent interest in me. I must have started rambling in the end because Eric brought me back to reality with a gentle kiss.

"What are you thinking?" I asked him after he had been silent for a long time.

"I am thinking of ways to keep you away from Victor and Felipe. From what you have told me, Felipe will not be a problem, he will come to realize that you working for him willingly is better than you working for him as a prisoner. Victor is another matter. He is ambitious and worse, he is interested in you." He ran his fingers though my hair absently as he spoke.

"Would having my memories help?"

"No. Victor will not care what you want; he will simply try to get you into a position where he will have power over you. He has tried asking to get you to go to him willingly -- I did the same thing when I first met you."

It was not lost on me that I was sitting on a sofa with Eric, feeling for the entire world like the most contented creature on Earth. I had to think about that. Had Eric taken the place of Bill? How much of my life was the illusion of choice? On the other hand, in the short time I had known Eric, if he was manipulating me, he did it far better than either the King or Felipe. Felipe had tried to buy my loyalty and affections and Victor simply thought of himself as the better option. Eric always seemed to ask at least. I tucked that away for further consideration at a later date.

We sat on the sofa, talking until the early dawn hours, until I fell asleep with my head on his lap. When I woke up, the room was mostly dark, except for small light in the corner of the room. Eric was perfectly still, everything was silent. I turned onto my back to look up at him. "Dawn is coming," I said, snapping him out of the perfect stillness vampires seemed to retreat to when the world offered them nothing.

"So it is. Go to bed Sookie, I will make arrangements for you to go to your home today."

I stumbled off to the bathroom to wash my face. Looking at myself in the bathroom mirror, it wasn't so much a stranger who stared back but a different person. I knew the "other" Sookie had every right to this body and her life but it seemed to me I was happy enough as things were. I felt Eric standing behind me; he had a large shirt in one hand, which he offered to me.

Wiggling out of my clothing, I pulled on my shirt and crawled into bed. Eric slid in besidef me, pulling me up against his body. "I have missed you," he said.

"I guess I have missed you too."

"You guess?"

"Eric, it isn't as though I know you, is it? I like and trust you more than I like and trust the other vampires I have fighting over me. I hope you don't mind if we take it slow."

"Not at all." I felt his hand running up and down the length of my arm.

I reached up to kiss him tentatively. I could feel his surprise from my move and then enjoyment as he responded.

"Goodnight Eric. I look forward to getting to know you." I fell asleep in his arms, dreaming of the sun.

Eric arranged for me to go see my home the next day. He had explained it was still too dangerous for Amelia to come out of hiding. Felipe may still prefer me as a blank slate and until I was cured, she had to stay under-wraps. I thought he just wanted to punish her and wherever she was, he was intent on seeing her stay there until she'd fixed me. I had to admit, he had a point.

There is no way to explain the alien feeling you get pulling up to a place you've been told is your home and you have no memory of it. I had thought I'd feel good seeing my "home" again, as I had with Eric. I'd wished, or at least thought all my memories would come back to me. Nothing came to me and I didn't feel anything in particular. Instead, the car turned down a long driveway paved with crushed stone, at the end was a white house with green shutters, a tin roof and a nice looking porch. It was entirely alien to me.

I sat in the back seat of the car for a while not sure what to do. This wasn't my home. The driver sat quietly in the front seat wondering what I was doing and what I was up to. He thought I was crazy and didn't understand what a powerful vampire like Eric was doing with crazy white trash like me. I made a mental note to give him a bad tip and opened the back door, holding the keys Eric had given me tightly in my hand. Walking up to the front door, I tried the keys in the lock and was somewhat surprised when the door opened.

Swinging the door inward, I looked in at what was mine. Behind me, the driver stayed in the car. The house was eerily quiet (in my time in Las Vegas I'd stayed up a few nights watching zombie movies with Ivan. This was the kind of quiet where some member of the undead fraternity would suddenly rush the hero of the story). As the sun streamed in through the windows dust mots swam suspended in the light. Dust clung to most of the horizontal surfaces. No zombie rushed me; no memories swam to the surface either. The driver had turned off the car but didn't come to join me. Outside I could hear the wind in the trees and birds singing. I stepped inside and closed the door.

It was a tidy home. Somewhat shabby but clean (if you were to dust) and clearly taken care of. Most things were old and somewhat worn. The house Eric had me at was nothing special and picked to fit in with the surrounding area but everything on the inside was new. It struck me after all the opulence of Las Vegas that I lived on the edge, I didn't have a great deal to call my own and what I owned, I took care of.

I liked that.

It seemed the thing to do was to explore. There were family photos on the mantel, me with an old woman – we seemed very happy. Two young children at the zoo with what looked to be their mother and father. The children looked so alike I could only assume they were brother and sister. I closed my eyes a moment once I realized what this meant. I had a brother and a mother and father; I dearly hoped they hadn't been looking for me all this time. There were more photos, me with Amelia, me with a smallish sized man with reddish hair standing in the sun.

Turning from the mantel, I went to the kitchen. On the refrigerator door was scrolled a message, "Sookie, if you get this call me - Jason." I didn't know who Jason was; I didn't have his phone number. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed.

After a little poking around, I found an address book; clearly I was not a fan of technology. Not all of the handwriting was mine, some of it was, most of it was written in a firm hand of what I'd learned to recognize as an older writer. It was thick and dog-eared -- finding the Jason who left the note would be nearly impossible. I'd have to ask Eric about it later.

I found a bedroom on the first floor, there was nothing familiar about it. It had a bed a quilt and a bathroom with old tile. Sitting down on the edge of the bed I let the hopeless feeling that had been gnawing at me since I came home finally wash over and take me. There was nothing here for me, nothing to remind me of who I used to be.

I find you can only cry onto a pillow you don't think of as yours for only so long. Eventually you get tired of crying and really, what does it accomplish? I went to the bathroom, washed my face using what I guessed was my washcloth and went out the way I came in. My driver was still there; he glanced at me and went back to playing with this phone.

There was a swing on the porch and I sat in it. The day was cool, but not cold. The sun wasn't too far away from setting. Lighting bugs floated across my lawn, letting out a hearty glow from time to time. If nothing else, I had a peaceful home. Just as this thought drifted through my head, I heard the sounds of a car coming down my driveway.

Actually, it wasn't a car; it was a pickup truck with some kind of decal on the side. The truck rolled to a stop and a beautiful blond man (beautiful in a way that Eric was not beautiful) stepped out. "Sookie!" he called. "Is that you?"

Granted I didn't really know definitively that it was me. But I nodded dumbly, he had a striking resemble to the young boy in the photo from the zoo I saw inside. Maybe I was seeing things. I started to get up off the swing. By then the man had bounded out of his truck and onto my porch. My driver didn't look worried, so I figured it was OK.

People aren't generally thinking their names when they meet you. They're thinking about everything else they have to do, they're thinking of remembering your name, they're thinking (in my case) that you have nice tits. Only rarely is anything useful going through their brain when you meet them. I knew he was worried about me, he was surprised to see me and he was here to "borrow" my lawnmower as his was broken and beyond repair. Either he was family or a close friend.

I stammered around for a while trying to figure out what to say and hoping for a clue. "Where have you been?" His voice was a mix of anger and worry. He remembered me broken and in bed, refusing to leave. I raised my mental shields; no good would come of going there right now. "That big vamp of yours said you were living with him now and not to worry, but you haven't been in touch with anyone."

He had been worried, but had not called the police or made further inquiries after hearing from Eric. Apparently, his worry went only so far. "Um…" I said uncertainly. "I was in Las Vegas." This had truth on its side. He put both of his hands on my shoulders, I half expected him to shake me. "Look, you need to understand, I don't know you," I blurted out.

He dropped his hands from my shoulders clearly confused. "Did Eric do this to you? I swear to God Sookie, I'll stake him myself."

"Eric? No! Amelia did...it was a mistake."

"Somemistake!" He said.

He didn't know the half of it.

"So you don't remember anything?"

I shook my head. "Nope. If you owe me money now is the time to lie about it." I said with a smile. He laughed a little and sat down next to me on the swing. He was thinking that I could still read minds. But he didn't say anything about it.

"You don't know me?"

"Nope. But I'm guessing I have a brother from the pictures in the house – that must be you."

He was looking at me with a mixture of shock and horror. "What are you going to do?" he asked slowly, as if losing my memory had made my stupid.

I shrugged, what was there to do? "Can we start with the basics? You're my brother?"

"Yea, Jason."

"Well Jason," I raised my shields wanting to have this conversation with my brother (as it turned out) honestly. I shrugged, "What _can_ I do? Apparently I was a waitress here in town, can't go do that, too many people will ask questions about all this." I hadn't really thought about that, even when I got my memory back, what was the likelihood that an employer was willing to overlook a month or so of absence, how could it be explained?

"Yea, you're already thought of as pretty weird," he said absently. I inwardly flinched at his assertion. Did everyone really think of me as a freak? "You should let Sam know you're back."

"Sam, my boss?"

He nodded helpfully.

"Look Sook. I have to get going. Call me if you need something," he said getting up off the swing and heading to his truck before I could say a word otherwise.

I sat, stunned in my swing watching him go. He didn't even stop to "borrow" my lawnmower. Then he was gone, racing off down the driveway. By then the sun had set, there was darkness all around me. The driver had turned on the overhead light in the car. I could feel the hum of Eric as he rose for the day. It was time to go home.

Letting out a sigh, I fished my house keys out of my pocket, and locked the front door and rode in silence with the driver on my way back to Shreveport.

One thing I had to say about my life, memory or no: It seemed lonely.

By the time we rolled into Shreveport, Eric was up and ready to head to Fangtasia. He seemed pleased to see me and even more pleased that I had returned so quickly from Bon Temps.

"What did you discover?" he asked as I made myself dinner while warming up two True Bloods for him.

"I'm a lonely person, and my brother is worthless," I said, evenly while chopping a salad.

The microwave dinged done. "I wouldn't say your brother is worthless," he said, giving his meal a good shake before drinking. "I'm sure he'd taste very good."

Laughing a little at that thought, I joined him at the kitchen table. "That's terrible. True. But Terrible. He came to borrow my lawnmower. We spoke for a few minutes and then he left. The end."

I told him about the rest of my day. Going through my house and what I'd surmised about myself from what I'd found there. Eric helpfully filled in the details of my parents (dead), my grandmother (dead), my brother (mostly worthless, if potentially delectable) and my boss, Sam (alive and in love with me). Eric gave dispassionate analysis of each in turn. He told me my parents died in a car accident when I was young. My Grandmother had passed just a few years ago and that she had raised me, he told me that I was not close to Jason but that I had always stood by my brother and tried to help him when I could. In the past, I worked for Sam Merlotte, the owner of a bar in Bon Temps.

"Sam cares for you quite a bit." He was saying as he stretched out his long legs and drank down the last bottle of True Blood.

"Does that bother you?" I asked, picking at my salad.

"No, he's very useful when I need to keep an eye on you and he will protect you even at risk to his own life."

I was a bit taken aback at his brutal honesty.

"Are you always so honest with me?"

"I tell you the truth that I can, without endangering you. You do not forgive lies."

"Good to know." It was so easy to slide into this domestic kind of chatter. I gathered up my dishes and took them to the sink. On the return trip, I leaned down to kiss him on the cheek as I picked up the two empty bottles of True Blood. Eric turned his head a little so that my kiss landed square on his lips. I froze a little, startled. I wanted to be close to him like this, it just seemed so wrong since he was still such a stranger to me.

When I hesitated for a moment, Eric pressed his case by kissing me more deeply (other than Eric I didn't remember kissing anyone and to my mind he was an excellent kisser) and pulling me onto his lap. I slid my hand into his long hair. The time for trepidation had passed.

Seconds later, we ended up in the bedroom, and I was naked.

"That's not fair," I said. He'd latched on to one of my breasts and was gently sucking on it.

"What isn't fair lover?"

"You still have all your clothing on."

He didn't need to be asked twice. His clothing was there and then it wasn't.

"I have missed you lover." He spent the next hour (or so there was no clock and I thought it rude to ask the time) showing me how he'd missed me -- repeatedly. It wasn't fast, it wasn't slow, and he didn't take my blood or ask that I take his.

It was as close to perfect as anything I could remember.

* * *

A/N - I_ think I have about one more chapter to go! I want to thank everyone who has PMed me, reviewed me, put me on their story alert or added me to their favorites. Hopefully the last chapter won't take too long. _


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

I didn't bother to go back to Bon Temps again, I didn't feel there was anything for me there. On the home front, my days and nights with Eric slid into an easy kind of domesticity. At first, I would get up around two or three in the afternoon, run any kind of errands that needed running and go to work at Fangtasia with Eric. Working at the bar was easy, it kept my mind occupied and no one bothered me because they all knew I was with Eric.

Bobby Burnam, Eric's day man, kinda hated me since he felt I was taking over his job. But Eric left plenty for him to do. In the weeks since I left Las Vegas, I discovered I liked reading, Eric owned a rare book store so he sent me there to work to see if I'd enjoy running one. I had to admit it was much nicer than working with fangbangers and no one thought of me as a whore, or stupid (ok, many people wondered if I actually read any of the books being sold but mostly I blocked them out). It was quiet there; I got a fair bit of reading done.

Only rarely did Eric ask if I would read anyone for him. We didn't hear much out of the king or Victor either. I suspected there was more going on with the king than Eric was willing to tell me but it wasn't worth the fight, he would tell me eventually if it was important to my safety. If there was, one thing I had learned was to trust Eric's judgment when it came to all things supernatural (as far as I was concerned everything else was up for debate).

The most exciting thing to happen in those weeks was finding a first edition of "Gone with the Wind" with a perfectly intact dust jacket in a pile of books left on the bookstore's step (some people would just dump them there).

And then it all changed. Sunday night in May, we were lounging at home on a Sunday night. I was reading, Eric was working on vampire shit, and the phone broke the silence. "This is Eric." A long pause followed. "Come." And he hung up the phone.

I looked up from my book, it was heading toward my bedtime, I was in my pajamas (soft cotton PJs with little sleeping sheep on them) my face was scrubbed clean and my hair up in a ponytail. "Company?" I started to get up to get some food together for our guests.

"Amelia," Eric, said simply.

Understanding was slow to dawn but it eventually broke through the clouds. I sat back down. "She's done," I said.

"Yes."

We sat in silence for a while. In the past few weeks there had not been much discussion on this front. "I see," was all I could muster. "When will she be here?"

"Soon."

Soon was fifteen minutes, or not enough time to prepare yourself for a life altering experience. They were there at my door: Alcide and Amelia. Amelia stood at Eric's front door hovering anxiously. She need not have worried, from the protective stance Alcide took, Eric would have to go though him first and Eric was not in the mood for a fight, even if it was with a Were.

Amelia slunk into the room, standing next to the burgundy recliner she'd sat on the last time she was here. "Can I get you anything?" I asked, hoping to delay this conversation.

Alcide hadn't taken his eyes off me since he'd arrived. "I didn't really believe it," he said staring at me.

"Yep. It's true. No memory at all," I said airily. There really was a limit to how many times you could have this conversation.

"Amelia," Eric said.

She blanched and dug into her purse. "I have it here." She pulled out a small vial with a grayish liquid inside. "This is it."

"Are you sure?" Eric asked, flatly.

"Yes, Octavia and I worked on it for months...as you know."

Eric was standing just a few feet from her. Alcide tried to look relaxed but his tangled Were thoughts were anxious and concerned for Amelia's safety.

"Will I remember the past few months?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the glass vial in her hands."

"I can't be sure," she said with a bob of her head. "The spell wasn't supposed to even last this long; it wasn't supposed to do what it did. It's possible you'll remember, and it's possible you'll forget."

That was helpful Amelia, thanks.

"Sookie, whatever your decision, you have to decide soon. The potion will only remain effective for a day or so and it's really hard to make." Amelia pressed the draught into my hand.

"I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about," Alcide said. "We'll just be going."

"Call me," Amelia said as she left through the front door.

Eric was standing off to my side. He'd said little in the exchange; maybe he was weighing the best course of action too.

I didn't have to make this mistake. I could remain forever ignorant, forever blissful. I could live here with Eric as his wife, as his lover. I would never want; I would know no fear and feel loved. I knew logically all the terrible things that had happened. Eric told me, he told me everything he deemed important. But knowing what I'd been through and _knowing _it, were two different things.

Saying nothing, I sat at the kitchen table staring at the tiny bottle. Chewing on my fingernails, I didn't have to stay this way. How many people could say the same? How many would be given the chance to forget all their regrets. To move on, cleanly, wholly without reservation?

"Dawn isn't far away, Sookie," he said quietly. How long had I been sitting there?

He inched up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm afraid," I said, honestly.

"What of?"

"What if I'm different? What if I'm sad?" I craned my neck to look up at him.

Eric pulled up a chair beside me. His long hair fell around his shoulders and he watched me like I was a very difficult puzzle to sort out. "Then just remember how you are, now."

"What if I don't -- remember all of this? How happy I am?"

"I will help you. I have always helped you."

"So you think I should do it?" Eric's eyes slid from the bottle, to me, and back again.

He was silent a very long time. The minutes slipped by. "Sookie, I will not lie to you. You are easier to manage this way; you trust my judgment because you have less of your own upon which to rely. You have none of the -- baggage -- you once did; but you should also know that you give up a great deal of the good to get rid of the bad. You have given up people who have loved you, who you loved. You give up a measure of who you are. _If_ it was my decision I would have you _whole_, not an approximation of yourself."

"Will you remind me of how I felt here?" I said picking up the bottle.

Eric nodded. "The Sookie Stackhouse I know is no coward. She does not walk away. Unfortunately, lover, the sun is here. Whatever your choice it is the right one."

Eric left me in the kitchen to go to his daytime rest. As the sun rose in tendrils of pink glory, I went out into the yard to watch this daily miracle. The world was hung in silence. I looked down at my hand, the bottle I held in my hand contained every sin, every wrong I'd every committed. Every slight against me, everyone I ever loved or hated. Every grief. All my pain. A whole life and a whole world, all in one tiny glass bottle. It didn't seem possible.

The minutes slipped by and I was only aware of my heart beating wildly.

I uncorked the stopper. I didn't remember what brought me to this, what place I blindly hoped to avoid going to ever again. But I wanted more than just existing in a meaningless state of bliss.

I drank down the bitter concoction and I remembered everything.

I wish I could say what happened was really dramatic, that everything came flooding back in a great tidal wave of crushing memories. It was more like the fog rolling away. I remembered my parents, Gran, Bill's betrayal and, God help me the fairies. I remembered how Amelia loved Tray and what a useless person my brother was.

And I remembered I loved him. I knew that I loved Eric. I had loved Bill.

As the sun continued to climb in the sky, I just sat down in the grass, alone with my memories.

...

The thing I found to be the most interesting was how happy I had been here. That Eric kept me out of politics, and in the past month or so, no one had been shot, beaten (I included myself here) or hurt. The black pit I'd been living in before Amelia wiped my mind was still there. I could go there, or I could decide to put it behind me and live my life as I had been.

It was an easy decision.

Getting up off the ground, I dusted a few random blades of grass off my PJs and went inside. I really needed coffee and I wanted to call Amelia. Of course, I didn't know where to call Amelia. So I called Aclide, instead. "Hey," I said as he picked up the phone; it was really early in the morning.

"Sookie?" Aclide, asked groggily.

"Yea," I said slowly. "Hey, do you know where I can find Amelia?"

"Sure, she's right here. Did it work?"

Ok I was a little stunned that Amelia had apparently taken up with Alcide, (in that special way) it took me a few minutes to respond, "Yea," I said slowly. "Sure did."

"You OK?" I could hear him getting up, out of bed.

"I think so." And then, more solidly. "I will be."

"Here's Amelia."

"Hey there, Sookie," she said.

"So you and Aclide?"

I could feel her shrug as I listened to her response.

"He's very attractive."

I laughed a little. "Look, I just wanted you to know it worked and I'm fine."

Amelia let out a breath into the phone, "Well thank the Gods then. How do you feel?"

"Weird," I said. "Heavier, somehow."

…

I spent the day waiting for Eric to get up. It was a long and anxious wait. He had found out, at least that I could read vampire minds, I couldn't think that pleased him too much. So I spent the day doing what I did best when I needed to kill time. I cleaned. If Eric was pissed about the whole mind reading thing he would be angry that I rearranged his LP collection (at least there weren't any 8-tracks).

Sometime after seven, he found me on my hands and knees in the bathroom, scrubbing behind the toilet. He stood in the doorway to the bathroom watching my behind. "While I confess, Sookie, I would prefer to wake to you with me; this is a fine way to find you."

I let out an 'eep' and stood up quickly. "Eric!"

He tilted his head at me a little, waiting. I dropped my eyes and washed my hands in the sink. "I'll just be out in a minute," I said.

"I'll be in the kitchen." Possessive: yes; patient: beyond belief.

I gave myself a few seconds to compose myself. And went to join him in the kitchen.

"Well?" he asked from the refrigerator as he pulled out two True Bloods.

I sat down at the kitchen table. "It worked."

"And?" The microwave dinged.

I looked at him meaningfully. "I remember everything," I said quietly.

"Eric," I started.

He slid into the chair across from me nodding for me to continue.

"I should have told you about the mind reading thing." I twisted my hands together, hoping this would go better.

Eric laughed brushing that off for a moment. "You had your mind wiped, were the prisoner of the King of Las Vegas, and you just got back all your memories and _that_ is the first thing that comes to mind?"

I must have looked like I was going to cry because Eric backed up a little, saying gently. "Sookie, I knew before the night your mind was wiped that you could read vampires minds -- at least occasionally."

"But I was so careful," I complained.

"And I am very observant," he said somewhat proudly.

"More like infuriating."

"That too," he said, with a smile showing not a little fang.

"You're not mad?"

"I have known for some time, why would I be upset?"

Stupid logic.

"I suspected the mind reading since the trial at Rhodes. You just confirmed it that night. You were right to hide it from me, Sookie. No other vampire can know. Not Bill, not Pam."

"What else do you know?" I asked glumly.

Eric just laughed. Looking at peace for one of the first times since the fairies had ravaged my body.

"What's so funny?" I asked defensively.

"Nothing," he said, drinking deeply from his bottle in a hope to change the subject.

"Tell me," I pressed, leaning forward in my chair.

He gave me a level look, calculating. "Alright," he said slowly, getting up out of his chair and coming to stand in front of me, trapping me with his body. "Sookie, I know many things about you that you do not think I know."

"Such as?" I said, tilting my head to look up at him. Did he know about my crush on Jimmy Smits?

He leaned down so his eyes were level with mine. "I know you had something to do with Andre's death."

I could feel the blood drain out of my face and for once, I wished that the Stackhouses raised fainters. It would be so nice to faint and not worry about what just came out of his mouth for a few minutes.

Eric waited for a moment for the shock to wear off before saying, "It is for the best for us that he died, Sookie." Eric wasn't retreating, his eyes were still level with mine, filling my view. I wanted to push my chair back, so I had a little breathing room, but the wall was to my chair and Eric to my front, there was nowhere to go.

"How?" I choked out.

"Did I know?"

"The bond. Every time he has come up you have felt guilt. He treated you poorly; there was no reason for you to feel guilty that he died." He stood upright and went back to his chair.

"I must go to Fangtasia," Eric said finally, closing the book on this particular conversation. "Don't wait up."

"Can I come?"

"Hopefully," he said playfully, pulling me into him, crushing my breasts up against his broad chest.

"_Not_, what I was referring to my love," I said

Eric looked very joyous, he turned me a little so my back was to the kitchen counter and I was once again trapped with his arms on either side of me. It trilled me to my core. He delivered what can only be described as a toe curling, chest hair growing, song-inducing kiss. I melted. "I hoped you would say that," he said huskily.

We didn't make it to Fangtasia for a few hours.

We existed that way for a while. I was still a little afraid to go back to my old life so I stayed with Eric, working at the old bookstore, reading in the day and spending my nights with Eric. Felipe called me to Las Vegas a few times but I always went with either Pam or Eric. My life was very normal, very stress-free, and very safe.

Then one night I thought I'd bring up the big question.

"Eric," I started. "Do you want to turn me?"

It was as though a dark shadow passed over Eric's face. I had never seen him look so sad before. "Sookie," he started looking unsure of himself, "I could never turn you."

My face showed my confusion and he explained further. "If I turned you, you would stay with me for a few years and then go off on your own. If Pam or some other vampire were to turn you, they would have complete control over you. Worse as a vampire, Felipe could order you to his side, forever, for as long as he remains king. And should a new vampire take over, they would force you to abide by them. You would be a slave to them, forever. You would be responsible for hundreds of deaths; they could order you to do anything."

My face dropped.

He pulled me to his side and tucked my head under his chin. "It pains me to watch you grow older, it will hurt to watch you die. But it is the only way you will be safe. Strange as it may seem, as a human you have more choices than you would as a vampire."

There was nothing to say to that.

"You don't have to live forever," Eric reminded me. "But, I would prefer it if you lived."

So I did.

The years wore on and I did everything I ever had an inclination to do (within reason). I went to college and found I hadn't missed out on much. Most people want to go to college because they're trying to figure out who they are, or they're waiting to move on with their life and college acts as a holding tank for them. I knew who I was, I knew all the terrible secrets people keep tucked away in the dark recesses of their minds and I had a pretty firm grasp on my place in the world, I was Sookie Stackhouse: telepath to vampires.

For a while, I toyed with becoming a therapist -- but I realized that I would learn things that were far too valuable and again, vampires or other supernaturals (even particularly astute humans) would seek me out, knowing that I had that kind of information.

Given my place in the vampire world, it was rather dangerous for me to travel far. I was safe so long as remained in Felipe and Eric's sphere of influence. If I went to Europe, I ran into the danger of going someplace where Felipe could not declare war to get me back. Sure there were rules against those types of things but vampires did not fight over humans (as I was often reminded) Felipe, Eric explained one night as I moaned about wanting to see Paris, would be paid for my departure (as would Eric) but that would be as far as it went.

Eric gave me what freedom he could. I had my own life, or as much of one as was practical. I had always thought I'd wanted children but realized now it was too much of a risk to pass on telepathy. Eric loved me, cared for me -- but I had no idea what he would do to other telepaths once I was gone. Hunter too had to remain a closely guarded secret.

I helped Hunter as much as I could, poor kid. Sometimes people surprise you, Remy surprised me by being up to the task. One day I sat him down and had a "Come to Jesus" meeting with him, detailing my life since the vampires discovered me and explained the risks his son ran by coming out. Telepaths were valuable, but unless you had power, you were a commodity to be traded among the powerful. Remy must have done a good job because the kid grew up great, went to West Point and ended up in Military Intelligence. I saw him last Christmas and I am proud to say he grew into a fine young man. He was a smart kid too, by getting into the government he was impossible for anyone to "disappear," he had rights and a good job.

Where Remy surprised me, Jason did not. Jason remained one of those local guys whose best days were behind them and knowing this made them deeply bitter and resentful. Jason's best days were in his youth, his glorious, beautiful youth. As he aged his easy way with woman faded, he grew into a beer gut and headed toward alcoholism. He fathered a bunch of kids he had no intention of taking care of. Since he was my brother and those kids were my nieces and nephews, I did my best to secure a future for them (and I had to be on guard for the telepathic gene popping up, out of five kids there was one). I ended up using my earnings to set up a trust for them (Hunter didn't need it since his expenses were taken care of) to use when they got old enough. It worked out as best it could.

Jason and I were never close again.

Sam was another matter. I wanted to be right with Sam, he was my friend and I loved him in the way that we love our friends. Dearly. But no, he did marry though, he found a nice girl and when I last heard from them they had settled down in quiet obscurity.

I wish I could tell you that growing old while Eric remained forever youthful didn't bother me. It did. More than I cared to admit. But then, we life; life as we can, not as we would. Eric was beautiful and my looks faded; a harsh reminder that my time here was limited. The greater incentive to get out there and live.

And live I did. Eric and I had a lot of adventures together, I could not go to Paris for fun but I could go for work (with assurances and contracts) for the King of France. I met the Emperor of Russia. In my 30s and 40s, there was a great deal of travel and Eric was only too glad to come with me. I was only too glad to use my gift openly.

There were times when I was really bitter about the tradeoffs I had been forced to make; but at the same time, I never thought I would have someone in my life. I thought I would live alone, die alone. Eric was with me most of the time, Pam and I had girl's night. Amelia got married to Aclide and had half-were children. At the end of the day I had many friends, I was rarely alone. And dare I say it, I was happy.

Eric had told me once that I didn't have to live forever so long as I lived.

It was an easy choice.

So I did.

---

_A/N: So...that's it. This was my first fanfic. This last chapter was a little schmaltzy but at my core that's who I am. And I really do believe that we carry within us our own heaven and our own hell. We made the decision to be happy or miserable (clinical depression aside) and may I recommend that you decide to be happy. Time, she is fleeting. _

_There are things (now that it's written) that I'd do differently. I think I'd have more fun with the dramatic parts, I think I'd plot more ahead of time; but other than that I thought it was a good effort. There's a lot to be said for writing it all ahead of time -- but I don't know I'd get anything done that way. I kinda need the deadline of getting a new chapter out once a week (or so). Looking back this is a good rough draft. _

_ I have few more stories planned (Russian Mafia, Zombies and "It's a Wonderful Life"...need I say more? Both SVM.), I hope you'll join me for those too. If any of you are thinking of writing your own fic I highly recommend the process._

_ I'm not saying I'm very good (I think we all know I'm not) but I will say getting this done was way easier than I thought, and more fun. The reviews and the encouragement from the readership was just the icing on the cake. Additionally, other than a few comments about typos I didn't hear many negative words about my writing._

---

Additionally I want to thank my wonderful Beta reader, Sarifina85, who has graciously edited this whole thing since the beginning. I could not have written this without her.


End file.
